THIRTY-two people died in drug-related incidents in Bournemouth and Poole last year.

Police say that while the figure is significantly higher than previous years, there is no suggestion that they were due to a "bad batch" of drugs.

The main factors are a reduced drugs tolerance of people who had recently come out of prison or treatment; and a dangerous cocktail of mixing drugs and alcohol.

Of the 32 deaths, 16 were due to the dangerous cocktail of mixing drugs and alcohol and more than two-thirds involved heroin.

In eight of the cases benzodiazepines, known as tranquillisers and sedatives, were a factor.

DI Neil Claughton said: "While there is concern within the borough over the number of people who have died, the suggestion that these deaths are caused by a bad batch' of drugs is not the case.

"If that were the case we would expect a much higher number of deaths because it would affect an even larger number of people."

He added that drug-related deaths are often down to a reduction in people's tolerance of drugs.

"The opinion within the drug treatment world is that people have a reduced level of tolerance having either been in prison or within treatment, but there is a belief they can go back to using the same levels of drugs they did before their clean spell.

"Often the most common cause is the lethal cocktail of mixing a number of drugs and alcohol together."

To people taking drugs or those who know a drug user, DI Claughton said: "Do not needle share, do not allow other people to inject you because it is illegal and you don't know what they are giving you.

"And seek advice from any of the treatment agencies within the town on the safe use of drugs.

"If you are going to do it, do it safely."

He added that within the Dorset Harm Reduction Strategy there is a newly formed Drug Related Death working group to look at the lessons that can be learned from previous drug-related deaths.

10:42am Monday 18th February 2008

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