The National Programme on Substance Use Mortality (NPSUM)
The NPSUM (formerly known as the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths - NPSAD) was established in 1997 to collate voluntary reports from coroners in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland pertaining to deaths related to psychoactive drug use. This includes both illicit substances, such as LSD and heroin, and licensed medications, such as antidepressants and antipsychotics. As of July 2025, the NPSUM has collated over 55,000 individual case reports, with current reporting from coronial jurisdictions at over 90%.
The NPSUM processes these reports and conducts research in a number of different areas, and currently includes projects to inform the clinical management of people who use drugs, to aid in the design of harm reduction strategies, to investigate potential drug-drug interactions, and to advise national and international drug policy.
Data is available on request from the NPSUM. This includes data fields regarding:
- Demographic information (e.g., gender, age, ethnicity, living arrangements, employment status, usual address)
- Cause(s) and manner of death, including location of death and relevant circumstances
- Past medical and social histories, including medications prescribed to the deceased
For further details and potential costings please contact the NPSUM team at npsad@kcl.ac.uk.
For access to academic publications since 2020, please contact us at the same address.
NPSUM data collection and analysis is not subject to the Data Privacy Act or by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) due to these legislations only applying to the personal data of living individuals.
Aims
The overall aim of the NPSUM is to improve the healthcare strategy to best support people who use drugs.
Project Team
PhD Student
PhD Student
PhD Student
Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology & Toxicology
Adjunct Senior Lecturer
PhD Student
Publications
Some recent NPSUM publications include:
Rock KL, Lawson A, Duffy J, Mellor A, Treble R, Copeland CS. (2023) The first drug-related death associated with xylazine use in the UK and Europe. Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, In Press.
Lewer D, Brothers TD, Harris M, Rock KL, Copeland CS. (2023) Opioid-related deaths during hospital admissions or shortly after discharge in the United Kingdom: a thematic framework analysis of coroner reports. PLoS One. In Press.
Copeland CS, Wallman P, Morgan D, Owen E, Taylor D. (2023) A Case-Control Study of Antipsychotic Use and Pneumonia-Related Mortality in the UK. Acta Scandinavica Psychiatrica, 147: 301-313.
Copeland CS, Rock KL, Pinhal A, Chapman RC, Chilcott RP. (2022) A fatal case-report of barium chloride toxicity. J Analytical Toxicology, In Press.
Rooney B, Sobiecka P, Rock KL, Copeland CS. (2022) From bump to binge: Overview of deaths associated with cocaine use in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (2000-2019). Journal of Analytical Toxicology, In Press.
Aldabergenov D, Reynolds L, Scott J, Strang J, Kelleher M, Copeland CS, Kalk NJ. (2022) Methadone and buprenorphine-related deaths among people prescribed and not prescribed Opioid Agonist Therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic in England. International Journal of Drug Policy, 110:103877.
Rock KL, Englund A, Morely S, Rice K, Copeland CS. (2022) Can cannabis kill? Characteristics of deaths following cannabis use in England (1998-2020). J Psychopharm, 36: 1362-1370.
Kopra EI, Ferris JA, Rucker JJ, McClure B, Young AH, Copeland CS, Winstock AR. (2022) Adverse Experiences Resulting in Emergency Medical Treatment Seeking Following the Use of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD). J Psychopharm, 36: 956-964.
Kalk NJ, Chiu CT, Sadoughi R, Baho H, Williams, BD, Taylor D, Copeland CS. (2022) Fatalities associated with gabapentinoids in England (2004-2020). British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 88: 3911-3917.
Copeland CS, Hudson S, Treble R, Hamnett HJ. (2022) The first fatal intoxication with 3-MeO-PCP in the UK and a review of the literature. J Analytical Toxicol, 46: 461-470.
Rock KL Reynolds LM, Rees P, Copeland CS (2022). Highlighting the hidden dangers of a ‘weak’ opioid: Deaths following use of dihydrocodeine in England (2001-2020). Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 233: 109376.
Yoganathan P, Claridge H, Chester L, Englund A, Kalk NJ, Copeland CS (2022). Synthetic cannabinoid-related deaths in England, 2012-2019. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 7: 516-525.
Deen AA, Claridge H, Treble RD, Hamnett H, Copeland CS (2021). Deaths from novel psychoactive substances in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: Evaluating the impact of the UK psychoactive substances act 2016. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 35: 1315-1323.
Corkery JM, Hung WC, Claridge H, Goodair C, Copeland CS, Schifano, F (2021). Recreational ketamine-related deaths notified to the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths, England, 1997-2019. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 35: 1324-1348.
Roberts E, Copeland CS, Robson D, McNeill A (2021). Drug-related deaths associated with vaping product use in England. Addiction, 116: 2908-2911.
Oyekan PJ, Gorton HC, Copeland CS. Antihistamine-related deaths in England: Are the high safety profiles of antihistamines leading to their unsafe use? (2021). The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 87: 3978-3987.
Claridge H, Williams BW, Copeland CS. A deadly trend in fentanyl fatalities (England, 1998-2017) (2020). The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 86:437-444.
The publication feed is not currently available.
Conferences
Data from the NPSUM has recently been presented at a number of conferences, including The Society for the Study of Addiction, the British Pharmacological Society Annual Conference, the Society for Forensic Toxicology Annual Conference, the International Association for Suicide Prevention Annual Conference, and the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists.
Media coverage
The NPSUM has been covered in recent articles in The Times (xylazine death, ketamine deaths in students), and also featured on BBC Newsnight (Wednesday 31 May 2023).
News
Xylazine has infiltrated the UK's illicit drug market
Xylazine, a powerful animal tranquiliser linked to horrific side effects, is now widespread in the UK illicit drug market.
Project Team
PhD Student
PhD Student
PhD Student
Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology & Toxicology
Adjunct Senior Lecturer
PhD Student
Publications
Some recent NPSUM publications include:
Rock KL, Lawson A, Duffy J, Mellor A, Treble R, Copeland CS. (2023) The first drug-related death associated with xylazine use in the UK and Europe. Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, In Press.
Lewer D, Brothers TD, Harris M, Rock KL, Copeland CS. (2023) Opioid-related deaths during hospital admissions or shortly after discharge in the United Kingdom: a thematic framework analysis of coroner reports. PLoS One. In Press.
Copeland CS, Wallman P, Morgan D, Owen E, Taylor D. (2023) A Case-Control Study of Antipsychotic Use and Pneumonia-Related Mortality in the UK. Acta Scandinavica Psychiatrica, 147: 301-313.
Copeland CS, Rock KL, Pinhal A, Chapman RC, Chilcott RP. (2022) A fatal case-report of barium chloride toxicity. J Analytical Toxicology, In Press.
Rooney B, Sobiecka P, Rock KL, Copeland CS. (2022) From bump to binge: Overview of deaths associated with cocaine use in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (2000-2019). Journal of Analytical Toxicology, In Press.
Aldabergenov D, Reynolds L, Scott J, Strang J, Kelleher M, Copeland CS, Kalk NJ. (2022) Methadone and buprenorphine-related deaths among people prescribed and not prescribed Opioid Agonist Therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic in England. International Journal of Drug Policy, 110:103877.
Rock KL, Englund A, Morely S, Rice K, Copeland CS. (2022) Can cannabis kill? Characteristics of deaths following cannabis use in England (1998-2020). J Psychopharm, 36: 1362-1370.
Kopra EI, Ferris JA, Rucker JJ, McClure B, Young AH, Copeland CS, Winstock AR. (2022) Adverse Experiences Resulting in Emergency Medical Treatment Seeking Following the Use of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD). J Psychopharm, 36: 956-964.
Kalk NJ, Chiu CT, Sadoughi R, Baho H, Williams, BD, Taylor D, Copeland CS. (2022) Fatalities associated with gabapentinoids in England (2004-2020). British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 88: 3911-3917.
Copeland CS, Hudson S, Treble R, Hamnett HJ. (2022) The first fatal intoxication with 3-MeO-PCP in the UK and a review of the literature. J Analytical Toxicol, 46: 461-470.
Rock KL Reynolds LM, Rees P, Copeland CS (2022). Highlighting the hidden dangers of a ‘weak’ opioid: Deaths following use of dihydrocodeine in England (2001-2020). Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 233: 109376.
Yoganathan P, Claridge H, Chester L, Englund A, Kalk NJ, Copeland CS (2022). Synthetic cannabinoid-related deaths in England, 2012-2019. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 7: 516-525.
Deen AA, Claridge H, Treble RD, Hamnett H, Copeland CS (2021). Deaths from novel psychoactive substances in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: Evaluating the impact of the UK psychoactive substances act 2016. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 35: 1315-1323.
Corkery JM, Hung WC, Claridge H, Goodair C, Copeland CS, Schifano, F (2021). Recreational ketamine-related deaths notified to the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths, England, 1997-2019. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 35: 1324-1348.
Roberts E, Copeland CS, Robson D, McNeill A (2021). Drug-related deaths associated with vaping product use in England. Addiction, 116: 2908-2911.
Oyekan PJ, Gorton HC, Copeland CS. Antihistamine-related deaths in England: Are the high safety profiles of antihistamines leading to their unsafe use? (2021). The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 87: 3978-3987.
Claridge H, Williams BW, Copeland CS. A deadly trend in fentanyl fatalities (England, 1998-2017) (2020). The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 86:437-444.
The publication feed is not currently available.
Conferences
Data from the NPSUM has recently been presented at a number of conferences, including The Society for the Study of Addiction, the British Pharmacological Society Annual Conference, the Society for Forensic Toxicology Annual Conference, the International Association for Suicide Prevention Annual Conference, and the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists.
Media coverage
The NPSUM has been covered in recent articles in The Times (xylazine death, ketamine deaths in students), and also featured on BBC Newsnight (Wednesday 31 May 2023).
News
Xylazine has infiltrated the UK's illicit drug market
Xylazine, a powerful animal tranquiliser linked to horrific side effects, is now widespread in the UK illicit drug market.
Principal Investigator
Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology & Toxicology
Investigator
Adjunct Senior Lecturer