Ripples of Despair - Shining a light on the impact of lives lost to alcohol, drugs, and suicide (2024)
Introduction
In Gateshead, lives are being cut short by health inequalities. Those in our most disadvantaged communities face shorter lives and in poorer health. Each life lost affects not just the individual but ripples through families and communities. Tragically, many of these deaths are due to alcohol, drugs and suicide, and may bring complex feelings of stigma, shame, and guilt that deepen the pain.
The ripple effect from people that were affected, you're talking about the whole street. My immediate family, my sister, my husband, my children, my sister's children, me, auntie and uncle, my cousin, even the first responders, you know, everybody that was involved has been affected.
Between 2019 and 2021, 46,200 people in England died due to alcohol, drugs and suicide - an average of 42 lives lost every day (3). In Gateshead alone, 239 residents died during this period, about 80 people per year. The North and coastal areas experience higher rates of these deaths compared to other parts of England (3).
For adults under 50 in Gateshead, alcohol, drugs and suicide are leading causes of death (4). Researchers refer to these deaths as "Deaths of Despair", reflecting the emotional and mental distress behind them. This term originated in the United States in 2015 and highlights rising mortality linked to alcohol, drugs and suicide, particularly among middle-aged people (5). Studies suggest these deaths are tied to social and economic conditions (3), and alcohol and drugs themselves are significant risk factors for suicide (3,6), and related risks like intoxication, long-term dependence and self-harm (7,8). Understanding these risk factors can help reduce health inequalities and support people to live longer, healthier lives in Gateshead.
This report examines the scale and impact of alcohol, drug and suicide-related deaths in Gateshead. It highlights the importance of language in discussing these issues. While the term "Deaths of Despair" resonated with some of those with lived experience that we consulted, it evoked difficult and mixed emotions. However, "despair" seemed to reflect the experiences of our communities; therefore, we have chosen the term "Ripples of Despair" for this report.
Sadly, these deaths are just the tip of the iceberg. Alcohol contributes to over 60 health conditions (9), with Gateshead recording 5,326 alcohol-related hospital admissions in 2022-2023 - one of the highest rates nationally (10). During the same period, 1,260 people accessed specialist drug treatment services (11), and estimates suggest 1,716 Gateshead residents were affected by opiate and crack use (12). Gateshead also has higher-than-average rates of self-harm, with 150 hospital admissions for self-harm among 10-24 year olds in 2022-2023 (13,14). Health inequalities worsen these challenges, with some groups and communities in Gateshead more affected than others.
Behind these statistics are real people, lives, families and communities. This report seeks to share their voices, illustrate the scale of this issue in Gateshead, and explore both the challenges we face and the opportunities we have to make a difference.