Deaths from fentanyl almost doubled last year

According to data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), deaths from the opioid fentanyl and its variants, including carfentanyl, almost doubled in England and Wales last year. ONS figures showed that deaths from fentanyl and its derivatives rose to 106 in 2017, an almost 80% increase on the 59 deaths recorded in 2016.

The most dramatic part of the increase involved fatalities from fentanyl derivatives referred to as ‘fentanyl analogues’ by the ONS. Deaths from these increased to 31 in 2017 from only one recorded in 2016. Of the 31 deaths, 27 (87%) resulted from addicts overdosing on carfentanyl, which is an elephant tranquiliser. This drug is 100 times more powerful than fentanyl, which is up to 100 times more powerful than street-grade heroin.

Although deaths from fentanyl and its derivatives are not even close to the rate seen in the US opioid epidemic, the ONS data show its presence in the market for illegal drugs in the UK is increasing. ONS estimates that fentanyl and carfentanyl have been responsible for at least 125 deaths in the UK from January 2017 to May 2018.

The ONS data also showed that 3,756 people died from all types of drugs in 2017, a slight increase from the 3,744 deaths recorded in 2016, and the highest since the compilation of comparable data began in 1993. The number of deaths due to drug misuse has remained at record or near-record levels since 2012. In 2017, there were 2,503 deaths recorded from drug misuse, a slight change from the 2,596 deaths recorded in 2016.