Graphic: Drug-related deaths among men and women

Official statistics relating to England and Wales released this year showed 11.8 per cent of men had taken an illicit drug in the last year, compared with 5.8 per cent of women.

In addition, 4.8 per cent of men and 1.5 per cent of women respectively reported frequent drug use in the past 12 months.

These figures are reflected in the annual number of drug-related deaths.

Speaking to the Telegraph earlier this year, addiction expert Dr Adam Winstock said higher rates of drug use among men was down to men getting into more accidents, having unhealthier lifestyles and generally being more prone to taking risks.

“There’s certainly more shame and stigma around women taking drugs than there is men. Women are less likely to disclose their drug use to their peers, which in turn limits their access to controlled substances – if people don’t know they take drugs or would be interested in taking drugs, they’re less likely to be offered them,” he added.

“Do men enjoy taking drugs more than women? No, I don’t think so.”

Infographic via Statista.