Drug death targets 'not reached'

Drug-related deaths have not fallen as much as was planned

The government has missed its target on cutting the number of drug-related deaths, according to figures published on Wednesday.

There was a 9% fall in deaths related to drug misuse between 1999 and 2004 in England and Wales, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

That is less than the 20% target set by the Government for the same period.

Between 1993 and 2004, there were 12,687 male deaths and 3,041 female deaths relating to drug misuse.

The ONS figures also showed the number of drug-related deaths actually increased between 2003 and 2004.

This was largely due to those involving heroin or morphine, and methadone.

Methadone accounted for 2,740 deaths (22%) in men and 558 deaths (16%) in women, while the anti-anxiety drugs benzodiazepines accounted for 1,938 deaths (15%) in men and 925 deaths (27%) in women.

There were sharp rises in the number of deaths relating to other drugs.

'More work needed'

Deaths for cocaine rose 67% from 88 deaths in 1999 to 147 in 2004, while deaths from ecstasy rose 85% from 26 to 48. Deaths from codeine rose 108% in the same period, from 26 in 1999 to 54 in 2004.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "We are pleased that fewer people are dying from drug misuse than in 1999, although there is clearly more work to be done.

"That is why we have reconvened the Drug Related Deaths Steering Group, a panel of experts which will report back to ministers in the autumn with a plan of action on how to keep the numbers of drug-related deaths falling at an even faster rate.

"Another measure of the Government's commitment to tackling the harms caused by drug misuse is the 30% increase in funding for drug action teams, which was announced in June."

Shadow home affairs minister Edward Garnier said Labour had failed to deal with the scourge of drugs.

He said: "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."