Researchers from the University of Manchester have identified almost 100 'deaths of despair' in Mendip over a three-year span, prompting calls for more decisive action to combat fatalities linked to drugs, alcohol, and suicide.

The team analysed coroner records from 2019 to 2021, a period that included the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, uncovering a troubling trend of substance-related deaths and suicides in the area.

In their detailed examination, the researchers discovered that 33 deaths in Mendip were attributed to alcohol, 23 to drug use, and 31 to suicide, culminating in 87 deaths overall.

This places Mendip 174th out of 308 local authorities in England, with a mortality rate of 29.7 per 100,000 people—well above the national average.

The nationwide analysis painted a stark picture, with 46,200 deaths from similar causes across England, equivalent to 42 people per day.

The report highlighted significant regional disparities, with Blackpool recording the highest rate of such deaths at 83.8 per 100,000, while areas like Barnet and Bromley reported the lowest.

Christine Camacho, the study's lead author, said, "Specific public health interventions and more wide-reaching and faster levelling up across England are needed to tackle the underlying inequalities which lead people to die from despair."

Nat Travis, national head of service at health and social care provider Turning Point, said the research "highlights the need for continued government investment into treatment services." She noted, "What we often see, are more people coming to us at a later stage when they are far more unwell, which makes it harder to undo the damage that's already been done due to substance use."

A spokesperson for the Department for Health and Social Care stated, "The Government is committed to narrowing the gap in healthy life expectancy by 2030 and to increasing healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035.

"Spending on mental health has increased by more than £4.5 billion in cash terms since 2018-19. We've published a 10-year plan for tackling drug and alcohol-related harms and are investing an extra £532 million between 2022-23 to 2024-25. Our ambitious plans for a smokefree generation will also save tens of thousands of lives."