Fewer methadone deaths reported from UK. Female drug users at higher risk.
Posted: March 05, 2005 13:30
Dear Colleagues,
The March 5 2005 British Medical Journal has a reassuring news report about reductions in most poisoning cases for the year 2003. The exception was for female drug users whose rate had climbed to 346, the highest on record (compared to 1042 men, the lowest since 1997).
Notably, Ms Brock of the Office for National Statistics stated that "...deaths involving methadone fell to their lowest number recorded..." Further: "We do not have information or an indication that people are taking fewer drugs."
They report further that there was an increase in the number of deaths involving antidepressants-from 392 in 2002 to 424 in 2003. These were mostly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and related drugs, although these are widely thought of as safer alternatives to older antidepressants.
I commend readers to the BMJ site for
the full article.
The March 5 2005 British Medical Journal has a reassuring news report about reductions in most poisoning cases for the year 2003. The exception was for female drug users whose rate had climbed to 346, the highest on record (compared to 1042 men, the lowest since 1997).
Notably, Ms Brock of the Office for National Statistics stated that "...deaths involving methadone fell to their lowest number recorded..." Further: "We do not have information or an indication that people are taking fewer drugs."
They report further that there was an increase in the number of deaths involving antidepressants-from 392 in 2002 to 424 in 2003. These were mostly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and related drugs, although these are widely thought of as safer alternatives to older antidepressants.
I commend readers to the BMJ site for
the full article.
Comments by Andrew Byrne ..
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