Opioid-Related Deaths Underestimated By 55% In England And Wales
As Lyphe Prescribes Medical Cannabis For Pain Relief To Over Half Its Patients
Deaths from opioid use are over 50 per cent higher than originally recorded, new research has revealed.
Opioid-related deaths had been estimated at 25,364 between 2011 to 2022 but now a research team at King’s College London has calculated them to be around 54.7% higher at around 39,232.
The discrepancy has emerged because of a constraint of data given by the coroners to The Office for National Statistics (ONS) when reporting deaths.
It means that deaths following opioid use – which is often prescribed to patients for pain management – are far higher than previously calculated, which had already nearly doubled in the last decade.
Approximately 8 million adults in the UK report chronic pain that is moderate to severely disabling, with 43% of adults (just under 28 million people) currently living with a degree of chronic pain, according to a report published by the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
Medical cannabis can be prescribed as an alternative to traditional medicine for pain management, with few reported side effects.
In 2025, 36% of Lyphe’s patients were prescribed medical cannabis for pain management, with 16% for complex care – taking the combined total to over half of the clinic’s patients looking for help with pain issues.
The original figures for opioid deaths had been estimated at 22.9 per million people in 2012, with a rise to 43.8 deaths per million in 2023.
The investigating team at King’s College say due to a number of unaccounted deaths, the actual figure is likely to be over 50% higher.
The study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, researchers from the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine used data from coroners’ reports submitted to the National Programme on Substance Use Mortality data (NPSUM) based at the university to triangulate and better estimate the number of opioid-related deaths.
As the ONS does not have access to post-mortem reports or toxicology results, while the total number of drug deaths is accurate, the count for those due to specific substances (such as opioids) are limited.
The accuracy of the figures therefore depends on the information given by the coroner on the death certificate – if that is missing the ONS cannot determine the substances involved, particularly if someone has died of ‘multidrug overdose’.
The ONS recorded 574 heroin/morphine-related deaths in 2011 but by using NPSUM data, researchers found there were a likely 239 further unaccounted deaths – underestimated by 29%! This gap grew to 34% by 2022, with the ONS recording 1,264 deaths but the researchers projected there were 1,980.
Senior author of the paper, Dr Caroline Copeland from the School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences and Director of the National Programme on Substance Use Mortality, said:
“The UK is grappling with a serious drug-related deaths crisis. All these tragic deaths are preventable, but well-meaning policies, treatment programs and educational campaigns will not have the desired impact unless the true scale of the problem is known – this underestimation will be leading to underfunding.”
“The increase of users taking more than one drug increases the likelihood of accidental overdose and also adds to the reporting problem. We need to alert coroners to the impact that not naming specific drugs as the cause of death has on the planning and funding of public health policies.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said, according to Britain’s Pulse Today:
“We continue to work with partners across health, policing and wider public services to drive down drug use, ensure more people receive timely treatment and support, and make our streets and communities safer.”
While opioids are often prescribed for managing pain, UK medical cannabis can also offer effective pain relief for chronic pain conditions, without significant side effects.
With over eight million chronic pain sufferers in the UK, medical cannabis is emerging as a vital source of relief, enhancing functionality and well-being.
Lyphe prescribes medical cannabis for pain management to just over 32% of its patients, with many reporting better quality of life and symptom management.
J.B. said of their medical cannabis treatment at Lyphe which has seen them switching away from opioids:
“Lyphe has slowly changed my life, it takes a bit of time and patience to work with the doctors and get the dosage right but well worth it.”
They added:
“I have now nearly stopped taking all opioid tablets and feel like a new man…”
Another patient, ‘S.O.’ said:
“I took myself off cannabis medication for my own family reasons last year but I have come back due to my change of circumstances and opioids make me even more sicker.”
In May 2025, another Lyphe client reported on medical cannabis’ pain relief:
“I have seen some great recovery from medical cannabis and I am proof! I was on a lot more medication; methadone,anti depressants, painkillers etc. I now have managed to cut away most of the horrible medication, my anxiety is getting better, I can walk around with no issues, I really think it’s a good road to recovery and pain…”
Further information and advice on the use of medical cannabis for pain management can be found on the Lyphe website www.lyphe.com
Sources:
Faculty of Pain Medicine, Royal Collage Of Anaesthetists
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