Heroin-related deaths in Victoria: a review of cases for 1997 and 1998

The objectives of this paper were to determine the number of heroin-related deaths in Victoria for the years 1997-1998 and to detail the demography an d toxicology findings, and also compare heroin death rates for this decade. The number of deaths attributed to the intravenous use of heroin has incre ased dramatically in Victoria since 1990. The increases were 5-fold. There were 166 deaths in 1997 and 268 in 1998. The heroin death is typified by a median age of 30 for males and 29 for females, although the age range is fr om children as young as 15 to adults in their sixth decade of life. Over 85 % of cases were using other central nervous system depressants, with benzod iazepines (45%) and alcohol (36%) being the most common. Approximately 60% occurred indoors at a private residence, the remainder occurred in public p laces and other locations. A similar number (60%) died alone. A wide distri bution of deaths occurred throughout the metropolitan and regional areas sh owing a growing spread in the heroin problem in the community. (C) 2001 Els evier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.