Kirsten Wiese Simonsen, A Carsten Hansen, Dorte Rollmann, Birgitte Kringsholm, Irene Breum Müller, Sys Stybe Johansen, Kristian Linnet
{"title":"Drug-related death in Denmark in 2007.","authors":"Kirsten Wiese Simonsen, A Carsten Hansen, Dorte Rollmann, Birgitte Kringsholm, Irene Breum Müller, Sys Stybe Johansen, Kristian Linnet","doi":"","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>We investigated fatal poisonings among drug addicts in 2007. The cause of death, abuse pattern and geographic differences are presented.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>All drug-related deaths examined at the three forensic medicine institutes in Denmark in 2007 were evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The number of drug-related deaths in 2007 was 226. Methadone deaths had increased since 1997 while heroin/morphine deaths decreased. In earlier studies, very few deaths from central stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines occurred (1-1.5%), but in 2007 6% of the deaths were caused by these drugs. Multiple drug use was common. Heroin/morphine, cocaine, amphetamine, cannabis, methadone, benzodiazepines and alcohol were included in the poly-drug use.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This investigation shows stabilization in the number of fatal poisonings in drug addicts. Geographic differences were observed. Methadone was the most frequent cause of fatal poisoning and there was a continuous decrease in heroin/morphine deaths. Fatal deaths from cocaine and amphetamine have increased considerably. Multiple drug use was common.</p><p><strong>Funding: </strong>not relevant.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>not relevant.</p>","PeriodicalId":11019,"journal":{"name":"Danish medical bulletin","volume":"58 8","pages":"A4307"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2011-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Danish medical bulletin","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: We investigated fatal poisonings among drug addicts in 2007. The cause of death, abuse pattern and geographic differences are presented.
Material and methods: All drug-related deaths examined at the three forensic medicine institutes in Denmark in 2007 were evaluated.
Results: The number of drug-related deaths in 2007 was 226. Methadone deaths had increased since 1997 while heroin/morphine deaths decreased. In earlier studies, very few deaths from central stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines occurred (1-1.5%), but in 2007 6% of the deaths were caused by these drugs. Multiple drug use was common. Heroin/morphine, cocaine, amphetamine, cannabis, methadone, benzodiazepines and alcohol were included in the poly-drug use.
Conclusion: This investigation shows stabilization in the number of fatal poisonings in drug addicts. Geographic differences were observed. Methadone was the most frequent cause of fatal poisoning and there was a continuous decrease in heroin/morphine deaths. Fatal deaths from cocaine and amphetamine have increased considerably. Multiple drug use was common.