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APPENDIX FIVE
DRUG-RELATED DEATHS IN SCOTLAND
This section is based on the General Register Office for
Scotland's Short Paper published on 26 August 2004. The
paper, and those for previous years, can be found at
www.gro-scotland.gov.uk
Overview of Drug-related Deaths
In 2003, there were 317 drug-related deaths, 65 (17%)
fewer than in 2002. Within these totals, the number of
deaths of known or suspected habitual substance misusers
fell substantially, from 280 in 2002 to 216 in 2003.
However, the number of deaths in this category is 23%
higher than in 1996.
Drugs Recorded
Of the 317 deaths, heroin/morphine was involved in 175
(55%) of the deaths; diazepam was involved in 153 (48%) of
deaths; and methadone was involved in 87 (27%) of the
deaths. A wide range of drug combinations was recorded. Of
particular note was the fact that diazepam was also
mentioned in 95 (54%) of the 175 deaths involving
heroin/morphine. The presence of alcohol was mentioned for
128 of the 317 drug-related deaths in 2003. The
blood-alcohol level was not given for all cases but, where
mentioned, it was often at a relatively low level.
There have been significant increases in the involvement
of heroin/morphine and, to a slightly lesser extent,
diazepam, though the figures for 2003 both show a fall from
the peaks recorded in 2002. Since 1996, there have also
been marked increases in the smaller numbers involving
cocaine and ecstasy. However, the number of deaths
involving cocaine decreased slightly from 31 to 29 between
2002 and 2003, and the number involving ecstasy fell from
20 to 14. Between 1996 and 2000 there was a downward trend
in the number of deaths involving methadone, but there has
been a substantial increase since then, almost back to the
1996 level (100).
Age and Gender Profile
Most deaths (89%) were to persons aged under 45, with a
quarter (25%) aged under 25. Of the 36 cases aged 45 and
over, only 10 were known, or suspected, to be
drug-dependent. Men accounted for 81% of the 317
drug-related deaths in 2003. Almost three-quarters (74%) of
the male deaths were of known or suspected misusers
compared to only 43% of the female deaths.
Geographical Profile
Of the 317 deaths in 2003, 107 (34%) occurred in the
Greater Glasgow Health Board area. Lothian with 40 (13%),
and Grampian with 37 (12%), had the next highest totals.
The Greater Glasgow total showed a large decrease, down
from 126 in 2002 to 107 in 2003, that for Grampian fell
from 47 to 37, while Lothian's total increased by 1 to 40.
Of the other areas, there were sizeable decreases for
Ayrshire & Arran (down from 33 to 19), Forth Valley
(down from 24 to 12) and Lanarkshire (down from 37 to
25).
There are some geographical differences in the reported
involvement of certain drugs. For example, heroin/morphine
was mentioned in a much larger proportion of the deaths in
Greater Glasgow (60 out of 107) and Grampian (27 out of 37)
than in Lothian (9 out of 40). However, the pattern is
reversed for methadone - only 40 out of 107 deaths in
Greater Glasgow and 5 out of 37 in Grampian, compared to 19
out of 40 in Lothian. Diazepam was involved in almost
two-thirds (72 out of 107) of the deaths in Greater
Glasgow.
Notes
1. Care should be taken when assessing these trends
because of the possibility that more complete information
has been reported in recent years.
2. The definition of a "drug-related death" is not
straightforward. A useful discussion on the definitional
problems may be found in an article in the Office of
National Statistics publication
Population Trends†. Further information may be
obtained from the following website
www.gro-scotland,gov.uk
† Christophersen O, Rooney C and Kelly S. Drug-related
mortality: methods and trends.
Population Trends 93,
ONS, 1998.
Source: Scottish Drug Misuse Database.
Information Services,
NHS National Services Scotland based
on information provided by the General Register Office
for Scotland.
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