FATAL POISONINGS IN YOUNG DRUG-ADDICTS IN THE NORDIC COUNTRIES - A COMPARISON BETWEEN 1984-1985 AND 1991

Fatal poisonings among young drug addicts (15-34 years) in the five: N ordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in 1991 were investigated and compared to a similar investigation for 1984-198 5 (Sweden for 1984 only). A common definition of 'drug addict' has bee n applied by the participating countries. In both investigations, the greatest number of drug addict deaths was seen in Denmark calculated p er 10(5) inhabitants, followed in descending order by Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. An increased number of deaths was observed from 1 984-1985 to 1998 in all five countries. The increase in Denmark and Sw eden was small while the number of deaths was more than doubled in Nor way and Finland. The increased number of cases in Norway and Sweden in 1991 is mainly due to a greater number of deaths in the age group 25- 34 years. In Finland, the increased number was seen mainly in the age group 15-24 years. In the two investigations heroin/morphine caused mo st of the fatal poisonings in Norway and Sweden. In Denmark, heroin:mo rphine caused about half of the fatal poisonings only, and strong anal gesics other than heroin/morphine caused about one third of the deaths . In 1984-1985 it was methadone, propoxyphene and ketobemidone and in 1991 mostly methadone. The number of heroin/morphine related deaths in Finland increased From 1984-1985 to 1991, but other drugs and poisons caused a much higher proportion of the deaths. Pentobarbital caused t he only fatal poisoning in Iceland in 1998.