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Treasury;Office for National Statistics

Answer

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total number of deaths in each of the last five years resulting from ingesting (a) heroin, (b) alcohol, (c) ecstasy, (d) speed, (e) nicotine, (f) glue, (g) Temazepam, (h) cannabis and (i) LSD. [23390] Mrs. Liddell: [holding answer 19 January 1998]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 21 January 1998: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me, as Director of the Office for National Statistics, to answer your recent question asking for the total number of deaths in each of the last five years resulting from ingesting{1} (a) heroin, (b) alcohol, (c) ecstasy, (d) speed, (e) nicotine, (f) glue, (g) temazepam, (h) cannabis and (i) LSD. Data for 1992 may be obtained from Table 10 of "Mortality Statistics: Injury and Poisoning 1992", Series DH4 no. 18, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. This table lists all substances mentioned in the records of deaths assigned to accidental and other poisoning by solid or liquid substances. The attached table shows the remaining data for 1992 and also data for 1993-1996. Deaths in England and Wales, 1992-96 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 (a) Heroin -- 52(10) 88(9) 130(21) 186(35) Alone -- 41(7) 68(7) 106(17) 147(32) With other drugs{2} -- 11(3) 20(2) 24(4) 39(3) (b) Alcohol{5} 3,565 3,550 3,853 4,235 4,489 (c) Ecstasy -- 5(2) 22(1) 7(-) 10(2) Alone -- 3(1) 15(1) 4(-) 8(2) With other drugs{2} -- 2(1) 7(-) 3(-) 2(-) (d) `Speed' (Amphetamines) -- 22(3) 18(1) 37(3) 29(2) Alone -- 8(-) 6(-) 18(-) 14(1) With other drugs{2} -- 14(3) 12(1) 19(3) 15(1) (e) Nicotine n/a n/a n/a 120,000 n/a (Tobacco-related){4} (f) Glue{3} 75 57 49 57 n/a (g) Temazapam -- 169(62) 157(47) 133(40) 92(22) Alone -- 60(25) 66(26) 37(16) 32(15) With other drugs{2} -- 109(37) 91(21) 96(24) 60(7) (h) Cannabis -- 10(3) 10(2) 10(3) 4(2) Alone -- 2(2) 2(-) 1(-) -(-) With other drugs{2} -- 8(1) 8(2) 9(3) 4(2) (i) LSD -- -(-) 1(-) -(-) -(-) Alone -- -(-) -(-) -(-) -(-) With other drugs{2} -- -(-) 1(-) -(-) -(-) _________________________________________________________________________________________________. The figures in brackets are those deaths with a mention of alcohol and are included in the non-bracketed figures. {1} The route of administration (i.e., whether swallowed, injected, inhaled etc.) of toxic substance is not usually specified on the death certificate. The data above represent all mentions of drugs, however administered, where the death was certified is due to poisoning, drug dependence or non-dependent abuse of drugs. {2} If, for example, both heroin and cannabis are mentioned on a death certificate, the death will occur twice in the table, once under `Heroin with other drugs' and once under `Cannabis with other drugs'. {3} Data supplied by St. George's Hospital Medical School and are those deaths involving all volatile substances, including glue. {4} Data relate to United Kingdom. This is the latest Department of Health estimate. {5} Deaths certified as due to alcoholic psychoses, alcohol dependence syndrome, non-dependent abuse of alcohol, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and toxic effects of alcohol.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

304 c533-4W;304 c527-8W; 23390

Session

1997-98

Subjects

Alcoholic drinks Death Cannabis Drugs Misuse Tobacco Ecstasy Temazepam Amphetamines LSD

Contains statistics

Yes