The number of people dying from drugs in Brighton and Hove is the second-highest in England and Wales.

New research shows the city has a drugs death rate of 11.9 per 100,000 of the population over 16.

Only Furness, Cumbria, has a higher death rate with 15.9 per 100,000.

The figures, collated from coroner's reports, place Brighton and Hove higher than larger cities like Manchester, Birmingham and inner London.

However, drug and alcohol teams in the city point to the significant 19 per cent drop on last year's rate of 28 per 100,000, which put Brighton and Hove at the top of the table in 2002.

They say years of work setting up specialist teams and getting organisations in all areas of the city to work together are starting to show results.

They will continue to work together to lower the figure again next year and in years to come.

A Brighton and Hove drug-related deaths steering group was set up in November 2002 to highlight the causes of drug overdose and try to find ways of bringing the numbers down.

Members of the group include accident and emergency teams, the coroner's office, Lewes Prison, Sussex Police, Brighton and Hove City Primary Care Trust, St John Ambulance and substance misuse treatment services.

Most of the deaths are among white men in their 30s who are now being targeted by the group.

Research carried out by Imperial College London earlier this year revealed there were at least 2,300 injecting adult drug users in Brighton and Hove.

Sussex Police are continuing to target drug dealers, especially on Brighton seafront, as part of a long-term drive to reduce the number of users in the city and cut drug-related crime.

The city was one of 37 areas selected for extra money and help from the Home Office to tackle its crack cocaine problems after it reported high numbers of people arrested who tested positive for cocaine and crack cocaine or who had problems with the killer drug.

The city also had high numbers of people arrested for crack supply offences.

Drug and alcohol team workers are working on a wide range of schemes, including teaching addicts, carers and relatives how to resuscitate in an emergency and keep closer links with addicts who have recently left prison.

The steering group has worked with day care services for vulnerable rough sleepers and people in poor housing.

It has also worked with staff at the accident and emergency department at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton to target people with problems or those likely to develop them.

Steering group chairman Jenny Bennett said: "We take very seriously the number of drug- related deaths in the city.

"Agencies work together to identify people who are at risk and likely to overdose.

"We are thrilled that preventative measures are already having a direct impact in the lives of a very vulnerable group of people.

"We are confident increased agency involvement will see the number of deaths further reduced."

An information and advice leaflet on how to make emergency calls effectively has been developed to improve the chances of recovery for someone who has overdosed.