@Shakyamuni 985878 wrote:
Your title is a bit misleading, it says highest since records started being kept in 1993. It seems to be the highest on record although it is possible that it was higher in the 80’s but I doubt it.
@Shakyamuni 985880 wrote:
Why is Blackpool kicking so much ass at having drug users die?
I have corrected the subject title – although it is indeed possible the death toll was higher from 1989 to 1992 in the early rave days; especially as PMMA pills were around back then but no one knew what exactly they were.
What also often happened then is Coroners (with good intentions) would often put the cause of death as the exact medical reason (heart attack. major organ failure etc) on the cert without the qualifier “dependent/non dependent use of drugs”. This was often done to prevent shame to middle class families when their young teens/adults lost their lives as in the UK all Coroners inquests are a matter of public record.
As for Blackpool; it is a deprived area near the coast that is (or was) entirely dependent on tourism/leisure industry. In the 80s/90s it was once known as a good place for raves.
It lacks much of the other revenue generators such as fishing, cargo transport, retirement homes for seniors etc found in other coastal areas of England and Wales so gets used as a dumping ground for addicts who formerly lived in cities in NW England. At least 3 of the other areas in the top list of casualties are similar coastal regions.
