Drug-related deaths more than double in North Lincolnshire as charity calls for single drugs minister
WithYou says responsibility for drugs is spread across at least six government departments
The number of people in North Lincolnshire who died from drug-related causes more than doubled in 2025, from 16 in 2024 to 36.
The drugs charity WithYou is calling for a single minister to be put in charge of drugs policy, along with stronger political leadership on the issue.
Across England and Wales, 5,519 drug-related deaths were registered in 2025, compared with 5,565 in 2024.
WithYou says the figures may not show the full scale of the problem.
It says nitazenes, synthetic opioids far more powerful than heroin, are turning up in other drugs without people knowing.
The charity also says responsibility for drugs is spread across at least six government departments, with no single minister in charge.
'Real people from North Lincolnshire'
Kate House, Head of Service Delivery at WithYou in North Lincolnshire, said: "These figures represent real people from North Lincolnshire. They were family members, friends and neighbours, and our thoughts are with everyone who misses them today and always."
She added: "There has never been a more dangerous time to take drugs. It's now impossible to tell what is in a substance by how it's labelled or what it looks like, and some of the new synthetic drugs are hundreds of times more potent than their counterparts."
Tom Kirk, a previous client and Recovery Worker at Scunthorpe Recovery Service, said: "It took me being in hospital for a month to get help. I was screaming for help but I didn't really want to change. I wanted help but just didn't want to do anything for it. I wanted it to be given to me."
Responding to people who may suggest overdose is merely the consequence of bad choices, Rick Hopper, a Criminal Justice Recovery Worker for WithYou in North Lincolnshire, said: "They're a human being. They're somebody's son, somebody's daughter, somebody's father, somebody's mother, somebody's grandchild. They deserve to live as much as the next person."
He added: "Our team in North Lincolnshire continues to work with community partners so people can get support quickly, for free, and without judgement. If you're worried about your own drug use, or of someone close to you, get in touch today at our website wearewithyou.org.uk."
What WithYou wants the government to do
WithYou says the government should:
Act now to save lives, by allowing overdose prevention centres in areas where people inject in public, making naloxone free and easier to get, and setting up a national drug checking service
Make sure everyone who needs treatment can get it quickly, wherever they live, with clear national standards on fast access, the right dose and wider support
Back services with long-term, sustained investment
Tackle the poverty and disadvantage that lead people into drug use, through decent housing, action on homelessness, support into work and a proper safety net
Treat drug use as a health issue and not a crime
The charity says evidence suggests decriminalising possession could improve public health by reducing the stigma that stops people seeking help.