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Essex drug poisoning deaths rise 8% to 94 in 2025

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 4 Nov, 23:34 · Archive

Drug poisoning deaths in Essex rose 8% to 94 in 2025, with Colchester recording the highest number at 20.

Drug poisoning deaths have risen sharply across Essex, with a total of 94 deaths recorded in 2025, up from 87 the previous year, marking an eight per cent increase. The data comes from the Office for National Statistics and was analysed by drug treatment providers UKAT Group, which operates the Essex rehab facility Sanctuary Lodge in Halstead.

Colchester recorded the highest number of fatalities with 20, followed by Tendring with 15 and Harlow with 11. However, the overall county figure masks significant variation between areas. In Basildon, deaths more than doubled, rising by 125 per cent from four to nine in just one year. Harlow saw an 83 per cent increase, with deaths rising from six to 11, while Tendring recorded a 36 per cent rise, from 11 to 15.

Zaheen Ahmed, head of drug therapy at Sanctuary Lodge, said the figures were 'deeply concerning'. He noted: 'While Essex's overall death toll remains unchanged from pre-pandemic levels, these figures expose a far more troubling picture at a local level, where some communities are experiencing alarming increases.'

Ahmed called for urgent action to address the disparities between areas. 'We cannot allow county-wide statistics to mask the suffering of individual communities,' he said. 'Every death is a life lost and a family devastated.'

He urged 'targeted intervention, earlier access to addiction treatment and greater support for the areas where the situation is worsening'. The data comes amid warnings about fentanyl-laced drugs in the region.

Essex drug poisoning deaths rise 8% to 94 in 2025
Image: Brentwood Guardian

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In this story: Essex · Colchester · Basildon · Harlow · Tendring · Sanctuary Lodge · UKAT Group · Zaheen Ahmed

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