THE NORTH-EAST has the highest number of drug-related deaths in the country, according to new figures.

The region tops a table documenting drugs deaths in England and Wales - with Yorkshire and the Humber in third place.

The figures, released today (September 3) by the Office of National Statistics, show a sharp increase – 21 per cent – in deaths relating to drugs misuse nationwide in 2013.

Almost 3,000 people – 2,032 male and 923 females - died in England and Wales in 2013 as a result of drugs poisoning, with the North having more than double the mortality rates of London.

In England, the North-East had the highest mortality rate from drug misuse with 52 deaths per million population while Yorkshire and the Humber had 40.6. London had the lowest rate, at 23 per million.

Heroin and morphine are most commonly involved in drugs poisoning while deaths from prescription drug tramadol are rising and a significant increase has been noted in men dying from misuse of paracetamol.

The release of the data coincides with a call from Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg to decriminalise drugs.

In The Northern Echo yesterday, Durham PCC Mr Hogg called for the region to lead the way in the decriminalisation of drugs, claiming that helping rather than prosecuting addicts could reduce drug-related crime and put a stop to fatal overdoses and the spread of HIV.

Today (Sept 3), he said the latest figures reinforced his argument, adding: "These figures represent individual people and tragedies and that is a key concern for us all.

“They support the argument for decriminalisation, education and greater regulation so that we can exercise greater control over the quality of the drugs people are taking.

“Drug users often do not know what they’re taking and the clear fact is, if they don’t know, they can’t tell medical staff which makes diagnosis and treatment difficult – this is absolutely contributing to deaths.”

According to the Office of National Statistics, a death is defined as drug related if it involves mental and behavioural disorders due to drug use; accidental poisoning, intentional self-poisoning or assault by drugs, medicaments and biological substances or poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances with undetermined intent.