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The number of people who have died in Wales due to drug misuse has increased by 84% over the last ten years.

There were 39.2 deaths per million people in Wales in 2008. This had increased to 72.0 deaths per million people in 2018.

It means parts of Wales now have some of the highest numbers of drug-related deaths in England and Wales.

The figures, released by the Office for National Statistics, show that Swansea had the highest rate in Wales for deaths related to drug misuse between 2016 and 2018. This was the second highest across England and Wales - only Blackpool was higher.

Neighbouring Neath Port Talbot had the third highest.

In Scotland, drug-related deaths have reached record levels. Figures released last month showed its death toll had increased by 27% over the past year to a high of 1,187. It meant Scotland has the highest drug death rate in the EU.

Deaths related to drug misuse in England and Wales in 2016-2018

Earlier this month, a woman from Swansea spoke in detail about her crack cocaine and heroin use, saying the £210-a-day habit had taken over her life .

Just last week, a grieving mother talked to us about her son , who died after a heroin overdose in a locked Marks and Spencer toilet.

And last year heroin users in Neath Port Talbot - a county which also has one of the UK's 10 worst heroin death rates - told us how they struggled with their addictions.

(Image: Jonathan Myers)

These latest figures show drug-related deaths in Wales are at their highest since records began in 1993 .

In 2018, there were 327 drug poisoning deaths, of which 208 were related to drug misuse. In comparison, in 1993, when records began, there were 94 drug poisoning deaths, of which 33 related to drug misuse.

Drug poisoning deaths involve a broad spectrum of substances, including controlled and non-controlled drugs, and, as well as deaths from drug abuse and dependence the figures include accidents and suicides involving drug poisonings.

A drug misuse death is one where either the underlying cause is drug abuse or drug dependence.

The reasons for Swansea and Neath Port Talbot's unwanted label as hotspots for drug misuse deaths are complex and varied, ranging from the decline of industry and employment to the services available for drug users.

Looking at today's figures, Professor Alex Stevens, from the school of social policy, sociology and social research at the University of Kent, said the numbers keep rising because the same factors and policies are in place - an increase in the the supply of drugs, an ageing population, austerity and poverty.

The professor said drug-related deaths are higher in working-class, de-industrialised areas which now have high unemployment rates.

"This latest jump shows how wrong the path we are following is," he said. "We have a criminal justice led approach which is based on the idea that you can threaten people out of taking drugs, which does not work.

"We have a system that is led by the Home Office but we need to stop punishing people for taking drugs."

Advocating for the decriminalisation of drug possession, the professor said responsibility needed to be shifted to the department of health and social care while investing in drug treatment services that can save people's lives.

Deaths related to drug misuse by Welsh local authority 2016-2018

Katy Holloway, professor of criminology at the University of South Wales, said that, while in England big cuts to treatment budgets have been made, in Wales funding has increased by £3m in the last year.

"But, it could be argued that more funding is still needed," she said. "Combining heroin/morphine with other drugs is not uncommon and puts users at an increased risk of overdose.

"We did some research recently on the misuse of prescription drugs.

"We heard many tales of how they weren’t able to get medications from their doctors so they would access them via the street, putting them at an increased risk of harm, particularly with street Valium, where the dose is unpredictable."

Professor Holloway said the hotspots seemed to be in areas with a high level of deprivation, adding more naloxone, which reverses an opioid overdose, needs to be distributed.

Rob Barker, training coordinator for Swansea-based drug and alcohol agency Barod, said the latest figures didn't come as a surprise and said the demand for their services was continually growing.

Mr Barker said we should be looking at other countries where drug-related deaths are significantly lower and what they are doing differently such as having drug consumption rooms.

"It is incredibly sad that we are discussing this each year" he said. "We only see numbers on a page but we have to remember these are people that are vulnerable and who we need to support and protect as much as we can.

"Some action needs to be taken ultimately."

Rhiannon - a heroin and crack user - talks about her drug use

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Across England and Wales between 2017 and 2018, there were increases in the number of deaths involving a wide range of substances, though opiates, such as heroin and morphine, continued to be the most frequently mentioned type of drug.

Since 2006, over half of all drug poisoning deaths each year have involved an opiate. In 2018, across England and Wales, a total of 2,208 drug poisoning deaths had an opiate mentioned on the death certificate (51% of all drug poisoning deaths).

What the authorities say they are doing

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “Despite continued and significant cuts to our budget by the UK Government we have increased our funding for substance misuse to almost £53m this year.

"We are also working with partners across Wales to ensure we do everything we can to reduce drug related deaths.”

Josie Smith, head of substance misuse at Public Health Wales, said: “It’s really vital that we recognise that these figures relate to real people and the impact on their families, partners and friends may be devastating.

"Every effort must be made to ensure that support is sought early on to prevent escalation of problem use and dependency without the fear of stigmatisation or social exclusion and with a recognition that drug use occurs amongst all age groups and all strata of society.”

In a statement, South Wales Police said: "We continue with our daily enforcement on the streets of Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot and work closely with the harm-reduction agencies to encourage individuals to stop consuming drugs, particularly those most harmful, such as heroin.

"Our officers work determinedly to signpost those in need to appropriate support services, but we are equally committed to enforcing the law as the public would rightly expect, further protecting those being exploited by ruthless drug-dealers."

Neath Port Talbot Council said it was concerned to note that the latest statistics published by the Office for National Statistics showed the number of deaths related to drugs in the area remained high.

In a statement, it said: “The council initiated a Critical Incident Group in September 2018 which brought together the most senior leaders across local agencies to explore why the area was experiencing such problems and to agree steps that could be taken across all agencies to address the issues.

“Amongst the actions agreed was the development of an assertive outreach capability that would seek out those individuals most at risk of overdose or death and to ensure rapid access to substitute opiate treatment.

“Whilst it is too early to evaluate the impact of the measures taken, a significant number of high risk people have been proactively engaged with by local drug agencies Barod and WCADA and the early signs are encouraging.

“The Critical Incident Group was stood down in February 2019 but the work initiated by the Group continues to be overseen by the two Public Services Boards of Neath Port Talbot and Swansea."