READING has ranked in the top 10 locations for deaths attributed to heroin and morphine abuse.

Deaths are more common in seaside resort areas, such as Blackpool and Portsmouth, with 5.8 deaths per 100,000 for Reading linked to an overdose between 2014 and 2018.

Reading Borough Council designed a drug and alcohol strategy for 2018-2022, which promises to deliver 'high quality' drug and alcohol treatment systems. It is currently going through a consultation phase.

A council spokesman said: “One of the key priorities within the proposed strategy is reducing the numbers of drug related deaths in Reading by identifying appropriate interventions and prevention activities, including the provision of take home naloxone.

“One of the other ways we will achieve this is also by reviewing drug related deaths on a quarterly basis via the Substance Misuse Death Overview Panel, as well as monitoring national information.

“Prevention and harm reduction is a key focus in tackling this issue and recently published results show Reading’s drug and alcohol treatment teams are increasingly effective at helping people beat drug and alcohol addiction.

“When compared to other similar local authorities in the country, stats from January 2018 show drug and alcohol treatment in Reading is one of the most effective in helping people to become drug and alcohol free.”

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs linked an increase in heroin misuse deaths to the 'deepening socio-economic deprivation since the financial crisis of 2008' in its publication Reducing Opioid-Related Deaths in the UK.

There were 3,744 drug poisoning deaths in 2016 in England and Wales. Of those deaths, 2,593 were from drug misuse, which represents 69 per cent of total deaths.

Visit: www.reading.gov.uk/drugalcoholstrategy to view the consultation.