Coroner laments 'weekly' drug deaths

Philip Walters spoke out as he recorded a verdict of accidental death on 22-year-old Matthew Peake from the Cynon Valley.

He died after taking a heroin overdose at the family home in Godreaman near Aberdare.

The inquest was told that unemployed Mr Peake injected heroin in his bedroom with his then girlfriend Gemma Smith.

They had bought the drug earlier that evening from a dealer on the Penywaun council estate.

The court heard how he used a combination of drugs, including heroin, sleeping tablets, and cannabis, in the 24 hours before he died.

His dealer has since begun serving a prison sentence for supplying.

Parents Susan and Robin Peake said they had never realised their son was taking hard drugs at home.

They appealed to other youngsters to stay away from drugs.

Another drug-related death was reported earlier this week in the neighbouring county of Merthyr Tydfil.

Craig Davies, 24, died at his home on the Gellideg estate.

Police have said they have arrested a man in connection with alleged supply of a controlled drug.

At least seven drug-related deaths have been reported in the valleys in the past six weeks.

Rhondda MP Chris Bryant called a multi-agency summit two weeks ago to try and find a solution to the problem - an effort applauded by the coroner.

Mr Bryant warned at the time that heroin had become the sternest challenge to his constituency's future since the miners' strike in the 1980s.

Rhondda Cynon Taff Council has also begun devising its own action plan to tackle the problem on all fronts.

The council plans to focus on education, harm reduction, and detoxification units.

Mr Bryant highlighted the growing problems in the Rhondda valley during prime minister's questions last month, urging Tony Blair to commit more resources for a co-ordinated approach to drug abuse.

Estimates suggest that as many as 12 people a week in the Rhondda Cynon Taff area overdose on heroin.

Meanwhile, one of the regional groups set up by the Welsh Assembly to tackle drug problems had revealed that an extra £2m a year would be needed to bring treatment services up to scratch.

The Morgannwg Drug and Alcohol Action Team said the estimated additional cash would be used to bring services to a reasonable minimum standard, to minimise or eliminate waiting lists, and to engage clients in pre-treatment and relapse prevention.