Notes:     

Absolute numbers from different countries are not directly comparable since differences remain in case definition and recording methods.

The national definitions used to report to the EMCDDA and the methods used are described in [Methods and definitions - drug-related deaths].

National definitions usually refer to acute deaths directly related to drug consumption ("overdoses", "poisonings" or "drug-induced"). Note that, in a few countries, the figures include also a limited number of cases of deaths indirectly related to drug use (e.g. AIDS, accidents with positive toxicology). See [Methods and definitions – drug-related deaths] with national definitions. Note in addition that in some countries, statistics published at national level may differ of those presented here for differences of case definition used at national level.

(1) Data from Greece refers to deaths under the age of 31. Only for years 2000-2002 these numbers refer to deaths under the age of 25 years old.

(2) United Kingdom (ONS): Definition used by Office for National Statistics (ONS) as data allow completion of the whole series.

(3) Corrected Index: 1990=100.

A few countries did not provide data for some years (see table). To correct this situation, the computation method used is defined in the report ["European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (2001). Co-ordination of the implementation of the EMCDDA standard guidelines on the drug-related deaths in the EU Member States, and the collection and analysis of information on drug-related deaths"], Project CT.99.RTX.04, Co-ordinated by the Trimbos Institute. Lisbon: EMCDDA.

For 2003 the index is provisional, computed on the basis of the countries that provided data both for 2002 and 2003.