Figures released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed there were 4,359 deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales registered in 2018.
At 16 per cent, this was the highest annual increase since the ONS began collating such figures in the early 90s.
It said two-thirds of the drug-related deaths were linked to drug misuse.
Deaths involving cocaine doubled between 2015 and 2018 to 637.