Northern Ireland drugs death rate 'higher in more deprived areas'

Drug-related death rates in Northern Ireland's most deprived areas are more than four-and-a-half times that of least deprived areas, a new report from the Department of Health has said.

It also said they are four times that for alcohol-related deaths.

The report also indicated that "self-harm admissions in the most deprived areas of NI are almost treble that in the least deprived areas".

The figures are contained in the Health Inequalities annual report.

Every year, the report compares numerous indicators of inequality - such as life expectancy, infant mortality and types of deaths - between people in the most and least deprived areas.

• Full Health Inequalities annual report 2022

Among the findings in this year's report were:

• Between 2018-2020, male and female life expectancy at birth showed no notable change in Northern Ireland and its most and least deprived areas

• However, while the male deprivation gap (the gap between life expectancy for those in the most and least deprived areas) stayed at just under seven years, the female deprivation gap widened slightly to five years

• Indicators of premature mortality - such as conditions that were considered treatable - showed that rates had either decreased in Northern Ireland and its most and least deprived areas or stayed the same

• The exception was preventable premature mortality, which increased in Northern Ireland

The report also looked at other issues, such as the proportion of births in which the mother reported smoking - the rate the most deprived areas was more than four-and-a-half times the rate in the least deprived areas.

Meanwhile, in dental health, the largest inequality gap was seen in the total of tooth extractions, with the rate in the most deprived areas almost double that of the least deprived areas.