THERE were fewer drug-related deaths in Bradford last year, new statistics show.

Office for National Statistics figures reveal there were 45 drug poisoning deaths in Bradford in 2022 – down from 53 the year before.

The figures cover suicides, fatal accidents, drug abuse and dependence, and complications involving controlled and non-controlled drugs, prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Across England and Wales, there were 4,907 drug-related deaths in 2022.

This was the highest level since records began in 1993.

Clare Taylor, chief operating officer at Turning Point, said: "Drug-related deaths are preventable, and the right treatment and support for anyone at risk, in any community, remains the key protective factor."

Lee Fernandes, from the UK Addiction Treatment Group, said the figures show people who have been addicted to drugs for many years are now also experimenting with taking other substances which can make a user "increasingly susceptible to a fatal overdose".