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Northern Ireland Office

Answer

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) intentional and (b) accidental deaths there were from drug overdoses in each health board area in each of the last five years. [187799] Mr. Pearson: The following table gives the number of drug-related deaths registered by Health and Social Services Boards in Northern Ireland for each year between 1999 and 2003. Number of drug-related deaths by registration year and Health and Social Services Board area in Northern Ireland _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Cause of death Health and Social Services Registration year Intentional self- Accidental poisoning by Undetermined and other Board poisoning by drugs1 drugs2 poisoning by drugs3 Eastern 1999 9 11 6 2000 19 7 5 2001 15 5 2 2002 21 8 6 42003 6 11 2 Northern 1999 3 7 1 2000 7 3 2 2001 2 4 2 2002 8 1 5 42003 6 8 3 Southern 1999 1 1 3 2000 2 1 2 2001 1 0 2 2002 1 3 3 42003 3 1 3 Western 1999 4 1 3 2000 1 1 3 2001 2 0 0 2002 2 7 3 42003 2 6 1 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 Intentional self-poisoning by drugs: This comprises intentional death due to prescription drugs, illegal drugs and/or where a combination of alcohol and drugs was involved. It does not include intentional alcohol self-poisoning alone. 2 Accidental poisoning by drugs: This comprises accidental death due to prescription drugs, illegal drugs and/or where a combination of alcohol and drugs was involved. It does not include accidental alcohol poisoning alone. 3 Undetermined and other poisoning by drugs: This comprises death of undetermined intent due to prescription drugs, illegal drugs and/or deaths where a combination of alcohol and drugs were involved, but not intentional or accidental alcohol poisoning alone. This category also includes death due to mental and behavioural disorders related to drug (prescription and/or illegal drugs) use, excluding alcohol and tobacco. 4 Data for 2003 are provisional.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

424 c1479-80W;424 c1477-8W; 187799

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Death Drugs Northern Ireland Misuse Health and social services boards Overdoses

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk