679 deaths linked to drug misuse show 2013 figures

The number of drug-related deaths reached a peak in 2013 with 679 fatalities, new figures show.

It means that, on average, 13 people died every week, directly or indirectly, from illegal drugs, prescribed pills, and alcohol.

The drug toll in 2013 is more than three and a half times the number of road fatalities in the same year (188).