Heroin and morphine were implicated in 43% of the 1296 drug-related deaths during the year, said the National Program on Substance Abuse Deaths.
Heroin deaths rose by one-third in 2000 to 551, while 27 people died after taking ecstasy, two-thirds more than the previous year. However, the sharpest rise was in fatalities related to legal analgesic use, which rose 84% to 401.
But overall, drug-related deaths fell 8% from the previous year. There was a significant decline in the number of deaths related to methadone use and to anti-depressant use.
Brighton on Englands south coast remains the area with the highest annual death rate per 100,000 population. In 2000, the rate was 32.3 fatalities/100,000 population.
Approximately 68% of those who died from drug use had a history of drug abuse or dependence, the study showed.
