NCJ Number
151552
Date Published
1994
Length
56 pages
Annotation
This report presents statistics on the number of drug addicts notified to the Chief Medical Officer at the Great Britain Home Office in 1993 and summarizes statistics on drug- related deaths in that year.
Abstract
THe number of drug addicts notified to the Home Office increased by 13 percent over 1992 figures, but this rate of increase was lower than in recent years. New addict notifications rose by 20 percent. In 1993, there was an increase in notifications of addiction to methadone, which was reported in 40 percent of all cases. Addiction to cocaine accounted for less than 10 percent of all notifications. The highest numbers of addicts were found in London and in northwest England. More new addicts were notified by hospitals and treatment centers than by general practitioners, following a pattern set in the preceding two years. The proportion of notified addicts injecting drugs rose slightly from 54 to 56 percent after successive annual falls from a high of 67 percent in 1987. The rise was most noticeable among new addicts between the ages of 21 and 25. In 1992, over 1,400 people died from drug-related causes, mostly due to overdosing. The increase of four percent was smaller than in previous years. 7 tables, 13 figures, 21 appendix tables, and 9 notes