§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths per year in the United Kingdom are attributable to the use of hard drugs.
§ Mr. Freeman[holding answer 3 November 1989]: The exact information requested is not available. The table shows the number of deaths attributable to certain drugs in the United Kingdom 1986–88.
Numbers of deaths attributable to certain drugs, United Kingdom 1986–88 1986 1987 1988 Drug dependence or addiction1 63 65 56 Other drug abuse or intoxication2 16 14 21 Other poisoning by drugs3 105 129 128 1 Morphine type. Heroin, Methadone, Opium, Opium alkaloids and other derivatives, Synthetics with morphine-like effects. Cocaine. Coca leaves and derivatives. Combinations of morphine type drugs with any other. 2 Morphine type. Cocaine type. 3 Opiates and related narcotics. Codeine (methylamorphine), Heroin (diacetylmorphine), Pethidine (mepiridine), Methadone, Morphine, Opium (alkaloids). Surface and infiltration anaesthetics. Cocaine, Lignocaine, Procaine, Tetracaine.