Table DRD-2. Number of drug-induced deaths recorded in EU Member States according to national definitions [see all tables in this series...]

Part (i) Total drug-induced deaths, 1995 to 2008

Country		1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Belgium		132	137	123	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:
Bulgaria		19	11	16	21	28	41	24	13	15	26	40	29	52	74
Czech Republic	(1)	:	:	:	61	79	80	84	44	55	57	62	42	40	44
Denmark		214	242	256	243	239	247	258	:	:	:	275	227	211	:
Germany		1565	1712	1501	1674	1812	2030	1835	1513	1477	1385	1326	1296	1394	1449
Estonia		:	:	4	7	22	31	45	86	36	98	57	68	:	67
Ireland		:	:	:	104	122	113	107	126	108	126	164	181	185	:
Greece	(2)	176	222	232	245	265	304	321	259	217	255	325	253	205	110
Spain	(3)	371	381	321	271	258	254	240	204	274	212	237	218	188	:
Spain	(4)	698	690	711	689	761	705	666	667	643	679	665	518	519	:
France		465	393	228	143	118	248	274	244	233	268	303	305	333	:
Italy		1195	1566	1160	1080	1002	1016	825	520	517	653	652	517	589	502
Cyprus		:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	14	9	7	12	11
Latvia		:	1	5	3	32	42	36	35	12	14	14	17	20	24
Lithuania		9	23	34	32	37	45	35	33	40	38	31	62	72	60
Luxembourg		22	17	9	16	17	26	18	11	14	13	8	19	27	10
Hungary		:	52	47	31	42	38	40	:	32	34	28	25	25	27
Malta		1	2	5	5	5	6	7	8	5	6	8	7	:	:
Netherlands		70	108	108	110	115	131	144	103	104	127	122	112	99	129
Austria	(5)	170	191	136	109	128	167	139	139	163	185	191	197	175	169
Poland		175	179	253	235	292	310	294	324	277	231	290	241	214	:
Portugal	(6)	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:
Romania	(7)	:	:	:	:	:	0	12	3	7	7	6	21	32	33
Slovenia		:	:	13	19	23	19	21	26	22	25	36	39	42	36
Slovakia		:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	23	17	20	17	25
Finland		51	107	98	84	119	134	110	97	101	135	126	138	143	169
Sweden		70	122	133	138	157	194	204	203	188	170	186	172	232	:
United Kingdom (ONS)	(8)	3012	3118	3310	3482	3652	3480	3679	3461	3168	3378	3305	3306	3352	3754
United Kingdom (DSD)	(9)	1341	1440	1558	1739	1946	1918	2162	2034	1787	1875	1980	2049	2108	2368
Croatia		47	33	36	34	48	51	64	52	57	88	84	72	115	87
Turkey		:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	:	26	51	147	159
Norway	(10)	143	195	185	274	237	360	398	291	255	303	234	251	275	:
Totals		6516	7410	6815	7062	7598	8205	8059	6779	6308	6747	7155	6813	7021	-

Notes:

 A longer time series, dating back to 1985 for reporting countries, is available in the Supplementary tables section of this Statistical bulletin.   

 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 Drug-related deaths — methods and definitions.   

 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 Drug-related deaths — methods and definitions. Note in addition that in some countries, statistics published at national level may differ from those presented here, owing to differences of case definition used at national level.   

 (1) For the Czech Republic, EMCDDA Selection D was used instead of the national definition. National definition includes also poisoning by psychoactive medicines, which accounts for most cases.   

 (2) Due to reporting delays (97 cases still under investigation), data for the year 2008 should be compared with caution .   

 (3) Data refer to the six major cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza, Sevilla and Bilbao. Between 1997 and 2000 data for Sevilla are not included. In 2003 and 2004 data for Zaragoza are not included.   

 (4) Data refer to the whole country.   

 (5) In the year 2008 the number cases on which no autopsy has been performed tripled (up to 32 cases) in comparison with previous years.   

 (6) Data has not been included this year due to major discrepancies existing in previous years between figures from the General Mortality Register and the Special Register (reporting all cases with a positive toxicology, not only Selection D). Ongoing work is conducted by Portugal to harmonise data reporting with EMCDDA Selection D, and to make data available in next reporting year.   

 (7) Data refer only to Bucharest and several counties in the competence area of the Toxicology Laboratory from Bucharest.   

 (8) United Kingdom (ONS): Definition used by Office for National Statistics (ONS).    

 (9) United Kingdom (DSD): Figures from the Drug Strategy Definition (DSD) of drug-induced deaths: it is an extract from the ONS definition that includes cases with drugs controlled by the Misuse of Drugs Act of 1971. For details refer to the Methods and Definitions Summary document in this Statistical bulletin. The DSD definition is relatively similar to the EMCDDA definition for general mortality registries(Selection B); in 2002, DSD computes 2037 cases and the Selection B, 1857; for 2003, DSD computes 1780 and the EMCDDA Selection B, 1590; for 2004, DSD computes 1887 cases and the EMCDDA Selection B, 1709; for 2005, DSD has 1987 cases and Selection B has 1812, for 2006 DSD has 2025 and Selection B 1785 cases, for 2007 DSD has 2108 and Selection B 1972 cases, and for 2008 DSD has 2368 and Selection B has 2231 cases. Only this figure from the United Kingdom (and not the ONS figures) are included in the ‘Totals’ for the EU.   

 (10) Until 2002 the national definition did not include ‘intentional poisoning’ (ICD codes:X61,X62). From 2003 Selection B has become the national definition.   

 See also 'General notes for interpreting data' on the Explanatory notes and help page.   

Sources:

 Reitox national reports 2009, taken from national mortality registries or special registries (forensic or police). Based on ‘National definitions’ as presented in Drug-related deaths — methods and definitions.   

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