Table 1

Characteristics of drug-related deaths reported for Liverpool by drug abuse/dependent status (1^st January 2004 to 30^th June 2005)

Variable

Drug abuser/dependent¹

Not a drug abuser/dependent

Unknown drug abuser/dependent

Total

P for the comparison between 'drug abuser/dependent' and 'not a drug user/dependent'

n

38

21

11

70

Male n (%)

24 (63.2)

13 (61.9)

8 (72.7)

45 (64.3)

0.924

Resident in Liverpool n (%)

27 (71.1)

18 (85.7)

10 (90.9)

55 (78.6)

0.338

Drugs known to have been detected in toxicological investigations n (%)²

Heroin/morphine

22 (57.9)

3 (14.3)

2 (18.2)

27 (38.6)

0.001

Methadone

12 (31.6)

1 (4.8)

0

13 (18.6)

0.022

Alcohol

15 (39.5)

11 (52.4)

5 (45.5)

31 (44.3)

0.339

Cocaine

16 (42.1)

0

3 (27.3)

19 (27.1)

<0.001

Known history of alcohol abuse n (%)

10 (26.3)

7 (33.3)

5 (45.5)

22 (31.4)

0.569

Known drug treatment contact in 2003/04, 2004/05 or 2005/06 n (%)

12 (31.6)

0

0

12 (17.1)

0.005

Known drug related criminal justice contact in 2003/04, 2004/05 or 2005/06 n (%)³

7 (18.4)

0

0

7 (10.0)

0.043

Death from drug(s) toxicity n (%)⁴

19 (50.0)

19 (90.5)

7 (63.6)

45 (64.3)

0.002

Age at death, years median (inter quartile range)

38.23 (32.39 – 44.07)

53.59 (44.13 – 65.81)

41.15 (29.99 – 52.21)

42.36 (33.28 – 51.35)

<0.001

All statistical comparisons used χ² or Fisher's exact test except for 'age at death' where a Mann-Whitney U was used.

¹Classification of deaths into 'drug abuser/dependent' categories is made by the national programme on Substance Abuse Deaths (np-SAD). ²The substance did not necessarily contribute to the death. ³Contacts with Arrest Referral Scheme in 2003/04 and Drug Interventions Programme in 2004/05 and 2005/06. ⁴Includes toxicity from prescribed drugs.

Beynon et al. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy 2007 2:25   doi:10.1186/1747-597X-2-25