HOSPITAL admissions for poisoning by illicit drugs have risen in York.

There were 346 admissions for poisoning due to drug taking in the city in 2014-15 – amounting to 172 admissions per 100,000 of the population.

This is up from 149 on the previous year and above the national average of 136 admissions per 100,000 of the population.

However, Cllr Carol Runciman, City of York Council’s executive member for adult social care and health, said drug-related problems in York are not as significant as some of the city’s neighbours.

She said: “We have got a very strong drug and alcohol team that are working very hard to make sure people don’t get as far as being admitted to hospital.

“I know the drug problem in York is not quite as bad as other places and tends to be softer drugs rather than harder.”

In York, many more men were admitted to hospital than women, with 224 male admissions per 100,000 of the population, compared to 121 female admissions. Admission figures for North Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire fall below the national average.

Nationally, hospital admissions for poisoning by illicit drugs have risen by more than 50 per cent in a decade

There were 142,802 hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of poisoning by illicit drugs in 2014/15 – a rise of 57 per cent since 2004-05.

The figures, released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), show that 45 per cent of these admissions related to patients aged between 16 and 34.

Liverpool was the local authority with the highest rate of admissions, with 444 per 100,000 population. The lowest rate was Wokingham with 32 per 100,000.

Deaths related to misuse of illicit drugs in England and Wales are at their highest level since comparable records began in 1993.

Paul Niblett, of HSCIC, said: “Today’s report gives insight into the misuse of drugs in society, and shines a light on the prevalence of drug use among different age groups.

“Reporting changes in rates of drug-related hospital admissions and misuse of drugs in adults provides valuable information for primary and secondary healthcare services, policy makers and drug rehabilitation professionals.”