UK DRUG DEATHS ON THE RISE, DESPITE GOVERNMENT PLEDGE

The number of people dying as a result of drug abuse is rising,
despite a government pledge in 2002 to reduce fatalities -with figures
showing that deaths from heroin, cocaine and ecstasy have soared in
recent years.

Campaigners said the Government had failed to tackle the drugs problem
and accused ministers of focusing on the wrong issues in
policy-making.

Charities have called for a more liberal approach to heroin, while
some health experts are concerned that cannabis has been downgraded,
yet supplies of the drug have increased in strength and toxicity.

The UK now has some of the highest rates of illegal drug misuse and
associated deaths in Western Europe. Figures published by the Office
for National Statistics (ONS) yesterday showed that 1,427 people in
Britain died as a result of drug misuse in 2004, compared with 1,255
in 2003.

The Government pledged in 2002 to reduce drug-related deaths by 20 per
cent from the 1998 figures, by 2004. But the ONS report found that
overall, the rate fell by just 9 per cent.

Between 1999 and 2004, fatalities from ecstasy rose by 85 per cent,
from 26 to 48 registrations. Deaths from cocaine increased by 108 per
cent, from 26 in 1999 to 54 in 2004. Despite millions of pounds being
poured into treatment programmes, heroin deaths fell by just 1 per
cent over the five-year period and rose from 591 to 744 between 2003
and 2004. Deaths related to methadone, the heroin substitute
prescribed to addicts, also rose from 175 to 200 between 2003 and 2004.

Harry Shapiro, of the charity DrugScope, said: "It is obviously very
disappointing that the target hasn't been reached. A lot of these
government targets seemed to be aspirational and this is a very
complex issue to tackle."

He added: "We now live in a "pick and mix" drug culture where people
use different drugs. Most of the focus for Government has been on
getting people who use heroin into treatment programmes but then you
also have the problem of methadone. There are also concerns that the
underlying causes of drug problems have been sidelined by the focus on
breaking the link between drugs and crime.

"If, as reports are saying, the rave phenomenon is coming back, then
we are going to have a new generation of children and young people
coming through who are not going to be heroin users but are going to
be on cocaine and ecstasy and ketamine, and that may require a change
in focus."

People aged 25 to 29 had the highest death rates from drugs misuse.
While the rate of fatalities remained steady among young people under
20 between 1993 and 2004, it increased dramatically in older age
groups, particularly those between 30 and 40 years old. More than one
illegal drug was mentioned in 26 per cent of certifications for men
and 37 per cent for women where misuse was named as the cause of death.

Of all the drug misuse deaths between 1999 and 2004, 44.5 per cent
were certified as being caused by dependence, 33.6 per cent accidental
overdosing, and 10.7 per cent as suicide, with the remainder put down
to undetermined intent and 0.6 per cent as murder.

The shadow prisons minister, Edward Garnier, said: "This shows Labour
continues to fail to deal with the scourge of drugs. Drugs take lives
and tear apart communities. They also undermine all our efforts to
combat crime.

"The Government needs to get an urgent grip on this problem but so far
all we have had is a chaotic and confused approach that gives the
impression it is OK to take drugs."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "There is clearly more work to
be done. That is why we have reconvened a panel of experts which will
report back to ministers in the autumn with a plan on how to keep
drug-related deaths falling at an even faster rate.

"Another measure of the Government's commitment is the 30 per cent
increase in funding for drug action teams, which was announced in June."

'They were the standard feeling but more intense'

Jason Manville, 26, regularly took ecstasy when he went to hard house
club nights. But a night out at the Brixton Academy in May, ended in
tragedy, when the store manager from Brighton died after taking up to
13 ecstasy tablets.

Southwark Coroner's Court heard how Mr Manville and his cousin Kier
Donlan took the pills washed down with lager. Mr Donlan said he took
two pills and believed Mr Manville took four. "They were strong, just
the standard feeling but more intense," said Mr Donlan. "They made my
body tingle and buzz."

Mr Manville later stumbled into the club foyer where he had a fit.
Staff helped him into a medical room. He was rushed to hospital but
died of multiple organ failure, caused by ecstasy and amphetamine
intoxication.