Debate contribution: Addiction and Drug-related Deaths

Debate contribution by Mr Alan Robinson on 23 April 2024.

MLA

Mr Alan Robinson

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

23 April 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Addiction and Drug-related Deaths

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4485516

Read the official Assembly record

Text

On a similar theme to that of other Members, I express my sincerest condolences to those who have lost loved ones who are part of the sad and ever-growing stats that we have before us today. The debate has been conducted in the right tone, and those who have lost loved ones have been central to it. I absolutely recognise that this is an issue of the utmost importance, and that it affects the very fabric of our society. The report that was published by NISRA in January cast a light on drug-related deaths and substance misuse. Since 2012, deaths due to drug-related causes have risen by 98%: from 110 in 2012 to a peak of 218 in 2020 and 213 in 2021. However, there was a marked decrease in the number of drug-related deaths in 2022. The 2022 figure of 154 still represents a 40% increase in the number of drug deaths that were registered a decade ago, but it is a significant decrease from the 2021 figure. I ask the Minister for his assessment of that. Does he believe that some aspect of the substance misuse strategy is working? As those on the front line grapple with the crisis, we must always recognise that this is not merely a statistical blip. Any death is a human tragedy that touches lives, families and entire areas. Those are not mere numbers; they represent sons, daughters, friends and neighbours who were lost prematurely. The:

"intrinsic connection between social deprivation, poverty, isolation, mental health and addiction"

cannot be overstated. It is a vicious cycle that traps individuals in a web of despair, where substance misuse becomes both a symptom and a cause. The NI Audit Office report detailed how the 20% most-deprived areas accounted for 44·5% of drug-related deaths and 44·4% of drug misuse deaths between 2018 and 2022, compared to 7·6% drug-related and 7·2% drug misuse deaths in the 20% least-deprived areas over the same period. The Belfast area had the highest rate of drug deaths in 2022, while the Causeway Coast and Glens area, which is in my constituency, had the second-highest rate. The NISRA data on deprivation shows that addiction thrives where hope is scarce. As the data is dissected, we find that those aged 25 to 34 bear the brunt of the epidemic. Those are the prime years of life, filled with promise and potential, yet they are cut short by the grip of addiction. It is a multifaceted problem that cuts across society, and such societal issues require a number of Executive Ministers to deal with them collectively. Therefore, I urge the Minister to keep his focus on this topic. The substance use strategy provides a road map and lifeline for harm prevention, harm reduction and addiction treatment. The strategy detailed the rapidly changing nature of substance use and recommended that a review be conducted after five years to refresh its actions and give the opportunity for emerging evidence to be taken on board. I trust that life will continue to be breathed into those provisions. The NISRA report also shows that opioids consistently top the list as the cause of those tragic deaths. Indeed, each year, over half of drug-related deaths have involved opioids, with heroin and morphine the most frequently mentioned. As for providing residential rehabilitation services in Northern Ireland, I hope that they are provided on an equal-access basis. Whilst providing such services will require an ongoing and considerable financial outlay, that will be an investment in our collective well-being. That is borne out by the NI Audit Office report, which indicated that the cost of alcohol misuse alone in the Province was £900 million per annum and that adding the costs of the harms related to other drugs to that figure took the cost to £1·5 billion per annum. In conclusion, beyond the statistics, there are human faces behind the numbers: our loved ones, friends and neighbours. Lives have been lost and families shattered. The Assembly and the Executive must be shown to be the architects of change in the storm of addiction, and we must turn the tide. My party supports the amendment.

691 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:08 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification