Health care representatives have said that Moscow has recorded a sharp rise in casualties linked to drug overdoses during the last four years.

A report released on Monday said, "The death rate from drug overdoses has risen by more than five times, while poisoning from psychotropic drugs rose 85 percent, from illicit drugs by 68 percent and from alcohol and its surrogates by 44 percent."

According to facts by Moscow's Health Care Department, more than 112,000 patients are filed in the capital's drug clinics, comprising 29,614 drug abusers.

But, health functionaries said that the real number exceeds the official facts by around seven times as many drug addicts conceal their addiction from authorities.

Russia has been gravely affected by the creation of opium-related drugs in neighboring Afghanistan.

Around 90% of heroin used in Russia is trafficked from Afghanistan through Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Afghan opium leads to the fatalities of about 100,000 people throughout the world per annum.

The Federal Drug Control Service said, Afghan heroin kills approx 30,000 people every year in Russia alone. (With Inputs from Agencies)