Fentanyl accounted for 75 deaths in England and Wales in 2017, which indicates a 29% rise from 2016 when there were 58 deaths. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is known to be 100 times more potent than morphine.
This finding comes from a recent report by the UK Office for National Statistics. Among other findings, carfentanyl, a drug even more potent than fentanyl accounted for 27 deaths in 2017. For the first time, it appeared in death certificates as a cause of death in 2017. Mortality from other opiates appears to be declining. A 4% drop was witnessed in heroin and morphine-related deaths in 2017, the first time since 2012. However, cocaine-related deaths continue to rise, with 432 deaths in 2017 compared to 371 in 2016.
According to Ellie Osborn of the Office for National Statistics, the overall level of deaths resulting from drug poisoning in England and Wales has remained stable from the previous year.
