Women’s deaths from drug misuse up 95 per cent in a decade

Posted on 2 October 2017

Channel 4 news highlights issue with rise in death from drug misuse in women

Mental Health lecturer Ian Hamilton recently worked with Channel 4 news on the issue of women’s drug misuse. Although more people are dying now as a result of drug use the number of women dying over the last decade has risen significantly. Paradoxically fewer women are using drugs but the numbers dying has increased by 95%.

Ian provided data analysis and contacts for the story which features interviews with families who have been affected by the death of a parent through drug misuse.

Ian and Katharine Sacks-Jones, Director of Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk, wrote about the subject in Talking Drugs, the online space that shares global stories and insights about drug use and control.

Ian said: "If this trend in female deaths is to be reversed we need to think about the way we engage women in treatment, unfortunately treatment tends to be male orientated. This can put women off accessing treatment and getting the support they need. Gender informed services have the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of women but such services are rare and should be more widely available."

To watch the interview please visit https://www.channel4.com/news/womens-deaths-from-drug-misuse-up-95-per-cent-in-a-decade.

To read the article by Ian and Katharine visit http://www.talkingdrugs.org/women-drug-deaths-soaring-england-and-wales-needs-overlooked.