§ Mr. Galleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the number of deaths associated with solvent abuse in the latest year for which statistics are available; and if he will give a breakdown between different medical causes of death.
§ Mr. John PattenExact figures of deaths associated with solvent abuse are not available, but it is known that 57 confirmed cases occurred in England and Wales in 1983.
The following table shows these deaths analysed by the physical cause of death categories used in the national study of deaths associated with the abuse of volatile substances.
Deaths Associated with Solvent Abuse by Physical Cause of Death, 1983, England and Wales
Cause Number Asphyxia* 20 Suffocation by plastic bag 9 Inhalation of vomit 14 Hanging 2 Drowning 5 Multiple injuries 3 Other 4 TOTAL 57 * Includes general terms for toxic effect of solvents, eg cardiac failure, respiratory failure.