Drug-related deaths in Shropshire have fallen by one third despite national figures showing an upward trend, new research has suggested.

But in Powys the grim statistics are climbing after three drug-related deaths were registered in 2008 compared with none in 2007. The findings come in the annual National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths report, published this week by the International Centre for Drug Policy at St George’s, University of London.

The 2009 report makes tough reading for policymakers spearheading the Government’s war on drugs – with heroin and morphine implicated in 45 per cent of drug-related deaths in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Alcohol’s consistent prevalence in drug-related deaths is also highlighted in the report.

The figures were compiled from responses given to researchers by 109 out of 115 coroners around the country. In Telford & Wrekin, three drug-related deaths were recorded in 2008 and four in 2007.

The coroner for mid and north Shropshire, Mr John Ellery, registered one drug-related death in 2008 and two in 2007.

No drug-related deaths were registered in south Shropshire in 2007 and 2008.

Latest figures for Powys show that three drug-related deaths registered in 2008 amounted to almost five per cent of all cases handled by the coroner in the county that year.

The latest annual report shows a 2.7 per cent rise in drug-related deaths nationwide in 2008.

Professor Hamid Ghodse, Director of the International Centre for Drug Policy, said: “This report reinforces the need for continued vigilance and constant monitoring of the drug-related deaths situ- ation across the UK to ensure that the reasons for such trends are understood so that appropriate measures and interventions can be put in place to prevent avoidable deaths and save lives.”