Drug deaths (No. 2)

That this House is dismayed at annual data released by the Office for National Statistics on 17 October 2025 revealing yet another record number of drug deaths; notes that 5,565 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in England and Wales in 2024; further notes that opiates and opioids were involved in almost half of these; recognises that recent research from King's College London has shown that many opioid-related deaths are missed from official statistics, raising concerns that underestimation has led to underfunding; is alarmed that deaths related to the synthetic opioid Nitazenes are four times higher than in the previous year; is concerned that cocaine-related deaths have risen for the thirteenth consecutive year; observes that death rates remain highest in areas suffering greatest deprivation; and calls on the Government to acknowledge this is a public health crisis and redouble efforts to tackle it.