Deaths from heroin and cocaine in UK double in just three years… thanks to quality being BETTER

HEROIN and cocaine deaths rocketed last year in England and Wales.

Experts believe increased purity of the drugs is one of the reasons.

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Heroin and or morphine-related fatalities doubled in three years to a record 1,201. And cocaine deaths hit a new high of 320, up from 247 in 2014.

An Office for National Statistics report said: “Since cocaine is often taken alongside heroin, it is likely that changes in the purity and availability of heroin, as well as increases in the purity of cocaine, are contributing to the rise in deaths involving cocaine.”

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In all a record  3,674 died of drug overdoses. Of those, 2,479 involved illegal substances only.

ONS data also revealed men are three times more likely to die from drug misuse than women.

Age was also a factor with those between 30 and 39 most at risk. ONS expert Vanessa Fearn said: “Heroin users are getting older and often have other conditions such as lung disease and hepatitis.”

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Rosanna O’Connor, of Public Health England, said: “Reassuringly, overall drug use has declined.”

Charity Release’s Niam Eastwood said: “This shocking rise raises serious concerns about the Government’s drug policy.”