By Lloyd Mudiwa.
The annual number of drug-related deaths recorded in 2009 in the National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) fell slightly to 638, compared to 641 in 2008, although the 2009 figure is likely to be revised upwards when new data become available.
There were a total of 3,334 deaths by drug poisoning and deaths among drug users in the six-year period from 2004 to 2009, and benzodiazepines continued to play a major role in polysubstance poisonings, the figures just published by the HRB showed.
While the annual number of deaths by poisoning decreased from 381 in 2008 to 357 in 2009, the number of non-poisoning (trauma and medical causes) deaths increased by 81 per cent over the reporting period, from 155 deaths in 2004 to 281 in 2009.
Of the overall non-poisoning deaths, the number of deaths due to trauma increased annually, from 95 in 2004 to 157 in 2009 and the majority (82, 55 per cent) of those who died from traumatic causes in 2009 were aged less than 35 years.
As in previous years, the majority (123, 78 per cent) of those who died due to trauma in 2009 were male. The most common causes of death due to trauma in 2009 were hanging (59, 38 per cent) and choking (29, 18 per cent).
The annual number of deaths due to medical causes rose steadily over the reporting period, increasing from 42 in 2004 to 124 in 2009.
The most common medical causes of death in 2009 were cardiac events (42, 34 per cent), respiratory infections (15, 12 per cent) and cancer (13, 10 per cent).
lloyd.mudiwa@imt.ie
