BOURNEMOUTH has one of the highest rates of heroin and morphine misuse deaths across England and Wales, figures show.

The Office for National Statistics fcund six of the 10 hotspots for fatalities related to the substances are coastal holiday resorts.

There were five heroin and/or morphine misuse deaths per 100,000 people in Bournemouth in 2016, according to the report. This compares with national averages of 1.7 in England and 2.3 in Wales.

Meanwhile, in Poole there were two deaths per 100,000 people. No data was provided for Christchurch, Purbeck, East Dorset, and North Dorset where there were few/no deaths.

Bournemouth councillor David Smith said “prevention, reduction and recovery is a key priority” in tackling the issue.

“It’s with great sympathy and sadness that we learn of any drug-related death in Bournemouth. We have long established partnerships with many connected agencies and outreach programmes that tirelessly offer support, welfare and resources to vulnerable drug users,” he said.

Drug and alcohol addiction charity Addaction wants to see more ‘take home’ kits of the life-saving reversal injection naloxone in the community.

Bournemouth’s associate director James Sainsbury said: “Harm reduction must be taken seriously and services such as needle exchanges need to be provided. Every death is a tragedy, a waste, and leaves a family in pain.

“The priority is to get more people connected with community services in Bournemouth at the earliest possible stage.

“In terms of particular areas, we know that while deprivation doesn’t directly cause drug issues - it does increase the likelihood of drug dependency.

“We also know that treatment saves thousands of lives every year and it is vital more people engage with structured recovery programmes. These are complex cases and it’s important that local services work together to tackle wider issues like housing and employment,” he added.

Nick Wyer, pan-Dorset drug related death coordinator for Dorset Police, said the force and its partners “remain determined to take any action possible to reduce the number of drug-related deaths”.

“A Dorset-wide drug and alcohol strategy is in place to address the challenges and identify learning that may help in reducing the number of these deaths across the county.

“Protecting people at risk of harm, which includes tackling harm caused by drug misuse and supply, is a priority for Dorset Police. We fully understand from speaking with residents how it impacts on the community, but this issue is not just unique to Bournemouth and can be seen in many towns across the country.”

In 2016, analysis by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs concluded that a probable cause of recent increases in drug-related deaths is the existence of a prematurely ageing cohort of people who have been using heroin since the 1980s and 1990s.

Experts also identified a “deepening of socio-economic deprivation since the financial crisis of 2008” as a possible factor.