In response to media stories about potential use of the drug 'Flakka' in Plymouth following the tragic death of a young woman, Ruth Harrell, Director of Public Health in Plymouth, said: “Almost all UK drug deaths are, like this case, attributed to ‘poly-drug’ use, where drugs that are commonly known to be dangerous are used in combination with alcohol and other drugs.
“We do monitor the use of novel psychoactive substances but the real crisis in drug deaths is the increased quality, availability and potency of heroin and cocaine used in combination with depressant drugs like alcohol and benzodiazepines.”