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Drug overdose rate is highest in the North

Jul 31 2011 by Sara Nichol, Sunday Sun

DRUG overdose rates are higher in the North than anywhere else in the country, the Sunday Sun can reveal.

Shock Figures have shown that more than 1,000 adults were admitted to hospital from drug poisoning in a year, the equivalent to 40.7 people per 100,000 of population.

The alarming data was revealed in the week that singer Amy Winehouse died of a suspected overdose and brought the horror of alcohol and drug addiction into the public eye.

The North East came out worst on the list, slightly above the North West, where 34.3 people out of every 100,000 adults had overdosed.

Redcar and Cleveland, Middlesbrough and Darlington had the worst rates in the North, with 56.7, 48.8 and 47.7 people out of 100,000 were admitted to hospital because of drug overdoses respectively.

Lowest was South Tyneside with 27.6 and Northumberland with 29.7.

These figures, taken from 2008, the latest to be released by the Government, and Winehouse’s death have now prompted North charities to speak out that more needs to be done for addicts, especially women and young people, whose lives are controlled by drugs and alcohol.

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