Legal drugs responsible for most overdoses

Legal drugs such as prescription medication, alcohol, and methadone are responsible for most drug overdoses, according to new figures.

They also show the number of poisonings is increasing dramatically in the North-east and South — with deaths almost doubling in both areas.

Figures from the National Drug-Related Deaths Index show there were 607 fatalities in 2011, compared to 597 in 2010. These compare to 431 in 2004 and a peak of 653 in 2009.