HC Deb 08 April 1998 vol 310 cc316-7W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many deaths in each of the past nine years in Wales resulted from the use of(a) heroin, (b) temazepam, (c) cocaine/ crack, (d) LSD, (e) solvents, (f) amphetamines, (g) ecstasy, (h) paracetamol, (i) co-proxamol, (j) khat, (k) alcohol, (l) tobacco and (m) cannabis. [38356]

Mr. Win Griffiths

The following table, compiled by the Office for National Statistics, shows for each of the listed substances, the number of deaths of Welsh residents occurring annually from 1993. Comparable data for earlier years could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Deaths to residents of Wales, 1993–96
1993 1994 1995 1996
(a) Heroin1 1 1 1 3
Alone 1 1 0 3
With other drugs 0 0 1 0
(b) Temazapam1 4 8 10 6
Alone 3 5 2 3
With other drugs 1 3 8 3
(c) Cocaine/crack1 0 0 0 0
(d) LSD1 0 0 0 0
(e) Solvents2 6 1 1 n/a
(f) Amphetamines1 1 0 1 2
Alone 0 0 1 0
With other drugs 1 0 0 2
(g) Ecstasy1 0 2 0 1
Alone - 0 0 1
With other drugs - 2 0 0
(h) Paracetamol13 5 19 37 21
Alone 6 7 9 7
With other drugs 9 12 28 14
(i) Co-Proxamol1,3 5 0 5 3
Alone 4 0 4 2
With other drugs 1 0 1 1
(j) Khat1 0 0 0 0
(k) Alcohol4 240 244 289 294
(l) Tobaccos5 n/a n/a n/a n/a
(m) Cannabis1 1 2 0 1
Alone 0 0 0 0
With other drugs 1 2 0 1
1 Number of deaths where the substance was mentioned on the death certificate. Where, for example, both heroin and cannabis are mentioned on a death certificate, the death will occur twice in the table, once under 'Heroin with other drugs' and once under `Cannabis with other drugs'.
2 Data are supplied by St. George's Hospital Medical School and are those deaths involving all volatile substances, including solvents.
3 Paracetamol is one of the ingredients in co-proxamol. When ONS quantifies deaths from paracetamol, they include deaths where co-proxamol and other paracetamol compounds are mentioned on the death certificate under 'paracetamol with other drugs'. Hence this method is used here and deaths attributed to co-proxamol are also included under 'paracetamol with other drugs'.
4 Deaths certified as due to alcoholic psychoses, alcohol dependence syndrome, non-dependent abuse of alcohol, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and toxic effects of alcohol.
5 The Health Education Authority estimates the number of deaths of people in the UK as a result of their own smoking in 1988 as 110,000 and in 1995 as 120,000. No sub-national breakdowns are available.