Long-term use behind high drug death rate, says public health

Manx rate twice as high as in England

The number of long-term users is the reason for the Island's high rate of death from drug abuse.

Figures recently published on a range of areas of health and wellbeing on the Isle of Man show 8.7 deaths per 100,000 of the population, compared to 4.3 in England.

Director of Public Health Dr Henrietta Ewart says those who have used such substances over a prolonged period often have other health issues which can prove a factor.

As a result, she doesn't believe this figure is a cause for panic: