Heroin and other opiates account for 74% of drug-related deaths

Fifty one people died from drug abuse in the city in 2003, putting the total number of deaths and the death rate ahead of bigger cities.

Fabrizio Schifano, from St George's Medical School, London, said: "Brighton has a very high homeless population."

But the city's drugs deaths were falling in line with national figures, he said.

Prevention 'working'

Brighton's drug death rate, the highest in England and Wales, was 25.3 per 100,000 of the population over the age of 16.

East Lancashire was the second worst area with 13.9 deaths per 100,000, according to the International Centre for Drug Policy.

Boston and Spalding in Lincolnshire were third, with a rate of 12.1 per 100,000.

Manchester had a rate of 11.3, with 37 drug deaths in 2003.

Overall, the number of drug deaths across England and Wales fell from 1,583 in 2002 to 1,487 in 2003.

Mr Schifano said the overall fall was a sign that prevention and treatment programmes were working.

Coroners' data

The senior lecturer and consultant psychiatrist said: "It is possible that, at a local level, prevention initiatives have been put in place and treatment options are more easily accessible."

Professor Hamid Ghodse, director of the International Centre for Drug Policy, said the report had shown an overall decrease in drug-related deaths, but called for further vigilance and constant monitoring of the situation.

Figures were based on data from 110 of the 123 coroners in England and Wales.

The majority of deaths were men under the age of 45 and heroin, morphine, methadone and other opiates accounted for 74% of fatalities.

Cocaine-related deaths were at the same level to 2002, while deaths from amphetamine and ecstasy had fallen.