DrugScope: Levels Of Drug-Related Deaths 'extremely Concerning'

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 28 Aug 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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DrugScope has responded to the publication of new government figures showing that deaths related to illegal drugs in England and Wales are at their highest levels since 2001.

Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales 2008, published by the Office of National Statistics, shows that the number of deaths related to illegal drugs rose to 1,738 in 2008 - the highest number since 2001 and 8 per cent higher than 2007 [1].

Other key findings include:

- Deaths where cocaine was mentioned on the death certificate rose from 196 in 2007 to 235 in 2008 - continuing the gradual upward trend in cocaine-related deaths since 2004.

- In the last four years, the mortality for deaths related to drug misuse was highest among men aged 30 to 39 and the fastest rise over the period occurred in the 40 to 49 age group, which increased by nearly two-thirds (65%).

- In 2008, rates for females were lower than for males in every age group but, as with men, the highest rate was among those aged 30 to 39.

- Deaths where GHB was mentioned on the death certificate rose from 9 in 2007 to 20 in 2008.

Responding to today's figures, DrugScope Chief Executive Martin Barnes said:

"Every drug related death is a tragedy and many could have been avoided. It is extremely concerning that deaths related to illegal drugs are at their highest since 2001. Despite the significant progress made in increasing the number of people accessing drug treatment services clearly more needs to be done.

"The steady rise in deaths linked with cocaine use underlines the drug's harms at a time when use of the drug is again increasing, particularly among 16 to 24 year olds. There was a significant increase in cocaine use in the late 1990s with overall levels of use remaining stable - however, the latest figures show that cocaine use is rising, with a 25 per cent increase in one year among younger adults. The fall in the price of the drug and evidence of its increased availability may be reasons for this increase.

"The fastest rise in drug related deaths is among older users and heroin remains the most commonly linked substance. This trend could reflect the fact that the heroin using population is ageing, with fewer younger people using and developing problems with the drug. While it is right to focus on drug use among young people, the need is for public health and overdose prevention interventions across all age groups. The recent announcement of pilot projects issuing naloxone, a substance which reverses opiate overdoses, is a welcome development. A continued investment in drug treatment is necessary to help reduce drug-related deaths and enable people to get the support they need to tackle drug dependency.

"Although the number of deaths related to GHB remains a small proportion of the total, it is a concern the number has doubled in one year. While the so-called 'legal high' GBL, which changes into GHB when swallowed, is to be made illegal before the end of the year it is important that people are made aware of the harms associated with the drug."

[1] The figures quoted in our press release relate to 'deaths relate to drug misuse'. The ONS defines this as 'deaths where the underlying cause is poisoning, drug abuse or drug dependence and where any of the substances are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act'. They do not include figures for deaths related to legal drugs, including prescription medication or alcohol, although these are featured elsewhere in today's report.

Source
DrugScope