The death of a 36 year-old man should serve as a "stark and sobering reminder" of the dangers of drug abuse.

That's the belief of police and family members of Darren Coxon, whose inquest was held at Douglas courthouse yesterday.

Recording a verdict of death by misadventure, the coroner concluded Mr Coxon died from a single overdose of heroin at his home in Nursery Avenue, Onchan on May 9 this year.

A joint statement issued today says people should be aware that no illegal drugs are safe and any amount, no matter how small, could prove fatal. It says the same dangers apply for regular users as those experimenting with drugs for the first time.

The statement ends: "Darren paid the ultimate price for his mistake, but if just one person learns from his death we can at least draw some comfort from that fact."