SAMHSA News Release

 SAMHSA Press Releases
   
 

   
Date: EMBARGOED TILL 10 A.M., March 1, 2002
Contact: SAMHSA Press Office
Phone: 301-443-8956

 

 

Heroin, Cocaine and Alcohol in Combination with Drugs Top Lists of Drug-Related Deaths

 

Heroin, cocaine and alcohol in combination with other drugs were the three most common substances implicated in drug-related deaths by medical examiners participating in the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) in 2000. Narcotic analgesics--including methadone, codeine, hydrocodone and oxycodone--also frequently ranked in the top 10 drugs mentioned by medical examiners in the survey, according to a report released today by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. In 2000, 137 medical examiner jurisdictions from 43 metropolitan areas reported on drug-related deaths to DAWN.

Among the jurisdictions participating, the highest numbers of drug-related deaths were reported from Los Angeles (1,192), Philadelphia (942), New York (924), Chicago (869) and Detroit (704). Twenty or fewer drug abuse deaths were reported from Boulder, Casper, Fargo, Indianapolis, Manchester-Nashua, Middlesex-Somerset and Sioux Falls. However, not all jurisdictions within these metropolitan areas necessarily participate in DAWN.

The report, Mortality Data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2000, found drug abuse deaths among adolescents and young adults were relatively rare--fewer than 20 percent of deaths reported to DAWN were under age 25. In about half of the participating areas, those under 25 represented less than 10% of all the drug-related deaths. In contrast, more than one-third of all drug abuse deaths in nearly half of the cities were age 45 and older. In every metropolitan area, more than half of the drug-related deaths were men. In 30 metropolitan areas, over half of the drug abuse deaths reported to DAWN were drug-induced (overdoses) and usually involved multiple drugs.

"Too many people realize too late that substance abuse can lead to incredible losses. Lost family and friends. Lost jobs and opportunity. And, as this report shows lost lives," said Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. "We are committed to supporting treatment programs that combat the personal despair and community disintegration brought by drug addiction."

"One life lost to drugs is one too many. Effective prevention and treatment programs are key to helping reduce the needless loss of life that results from abuse of drugs," said SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie. "We are working with states and local drug treatment providers to build treatment capacity and to implement the most effective treatment services available."

John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy said, "These findings are another indication of the gravity of our nation's struggle with drug abuse. The abuse of multiple drugs in combination has deadly consequences that far too many Americans are having to pay. This report is a sobering call for the implementation of the President's comprehensive drug control strategy which aims to prevent drug use before it starts, heal America's drug users, and systematically dismantle the illegal drug market."

The release of Mortality Data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2000 marks the debut of a redesigned DAWN report on drug abuse-related mortality. It replaces the previous DAWN Annual Medical Examiner Data reports. Changes in the format and content of this report are designed to provide more information about the metropolitan areas represented in DAWN and about their component jurisdictions. The report now includes three sections: metropolitan area profiles, abbreviated profiles for areas with few cases, and area "spotlights." This design provides more detailed information about the larger metropolitan areas, but also includes basic information about jurisdictions with fewer deaths, without compromising the confidentiality of decedents. Jurisdictions of special interest (such as urban counties) now have their own "spotlight" sections.

Among other key finding in the report are:
 

Major Drugs of Abuse
  • In half of the participating metropolitan areas, heroin, cocaine, and alcohol-in-combination accounted for 40 percent or more of all drug mentions; they accounted for the vast majority of drug mentions in reported cases from Newark (66%), Portland (67%) and Chicago (74%).
  • There were no consistent trends in heroin mentions across the metropolitan areas. From 1999 to 2000, the number of heroin/morphine mentions decreased in 12 metro areas and increased in 13 other metropolitan areas.
  • There were no consistent trends in cocaine mentions across the metropolitan areas. Twelve cities reported a decrease in the frequency of cocaine involvement from 1999 to 2000, while 11 cities saw an overall increase in deaths involving cocaine during that time period.
  • In 3 cities (Minneapolis, Baltimore and Norfolk), alcohol was involved in more than half of all drug-related deaths.

Other Drugs of Abuse
  • Only 3 metropolitan areas had a drug other than heroin/morphine, cocaine, or alcohol-in-combination as the most frequently mentioned substance in their drug abuse-related deaths. Oklahoma City's most common drug was methamphetamine (56 mentions); Louisville's most common drug was cannabis (45); and in Providence, the most frequently mentioned substance was unspecified narcotic analgesics (24).
  • Methamphetamine deaths continue to be concentrated in the Midwest and West. Among participating areas on the East Coast, only Long Island had more than a few mentions (38).

Club Drugs
  • In DAWN, "club drugs" is a category that includes mentions of the following drugs: methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or Ecstasy); Ketamine; gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB) and its precursor gamma butyrolactone (GBL); and flunitrazepam (Rohypnol).
  • As in prior years, club drugs together accounted for very few deaths in any of the metropolitan areas participating in DAWN. Only 10 cities reported more than 5 mentions of club drugs in drug-related deaths. The cities with the most mentions were Los Angeles (27 mentions), Dallas (10), Chicago (9), and Miami (9). 
  • In nearly all cases, club drugs were reported in combination with at least one other substance.

Abuse of Prescription Drugs
  • Codeine ranked in the top 10 drugs mentioned in 17 cities, including Philadelphia (216 mentions), Los Angeles (201), Phoenix (124), Detroit (103), San Francisco (92), and Chicago (88).
  • Hydrocodone ranked among the 10 most common drugs in 15 cities, including Los Angeles (80 mentions), Detroit (48), Dallas (25), Oklahoma City (22), and San Diego (22).
  • Oxycodone ranked among the 10 most common drugs in 15 cities, including Philadelphia (87 mentions), Las Vegas (27), and Boston (21). These mentions cannot be attributed to specific brands, such as OxyContin.
  • Of non-narcotic prescription drugs, diazepam (a benzodiazepine) and diphenhydramine were the most frequently mentioned.
  • Methadone ranked in the top 10 drugs in 19 cities, including New York (146 mentions), Phoenix (47) and Chicago (46).
 

The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) reports annually on drug abuse-related deaths, using data provided by participating death investigation jurisdictions in metropolitan areas in the United States. In 2000, 137 jurisdictions in 43 metropolitan areas participated. The DAWN mortality data capture deaths where an illegal drug or a legal drug used for non-medical purposes contributed to a death, either directly (overdose) or indirectly. Deaths involving prescription drugs are reportable to DAWN only when the death involved intentional abuse. Accidental ingestions with no intent of abuse or adverse reactions to drugs taken as prescribed are not reportable.

The drug abuse deaths described in this report do not represent the Nation as a whole, nor do they necessarily represent the total number of drug abuse-related deaths in any given metropolitan area. Rather, DAWN cases reflect the number of drug abuse deaths reviewed, identified, and reported by participating medical examiners and coroners in selected metropolitan areas. DAWN also collects information on drug-related emergency department visits from a national sample of hospitals, which is contained in a separate report, Emergency Department Trends from the Drug Abuse Warning Network.

Mortality Data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2000 and other DAWN reports can be found on SAMHSA's website, www.samhsa.gov. Click on "Data and Statistics." Printed copies can also be obtained by calling SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Drug and Alcohol Information at 1-800-729-6686.
 
 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States. Sign up for SAMHSA's mailing list for the DAWN and other reports at www.samhsa.gov. Information on SAMHSA's programs is also available at www.samhsa.gov. 

News media requests should be directed to Media Services at (800) 487-4890.
 
 

 

 

This page was last updated on 28 February, 2002
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