DEATHS AMONG DRUG-ABUSERS IN SOUTH-EAST SCOTLAND (1989-1994)

A survey of deaths of chronic drug abusers who came to medico-legal au topsy in the South-east of Scotland revealed a total of 179 fatalities in the six-year period between 1989 and 1994 inclusive. There was an almost linear increase in the number of such deaths reported to the Pr ocurator Fiscal per year over this period, rising from 14 in 1989 to 4 5 in 1994. The majority of deaths (86%) were seen in males and the pea k age at death was in the third decade of life. In the majority of cas es (60%) death was deemed to be accidental and most were due to accide ntal drug overdoses, with methadone being the drug most commonly detec ted on toxicological analysis. The number of HIV-positive cases peaked in the years 1991 and 1992 with a decline over the subsequent two yea rs.