§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the trend has been in the number of deaths in the UK resulting from heroin use between 1990 and the most recent year for which figures are available. [137468]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 20 November 2000]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 30 November 2000:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question on the trend in the number of deaths in the UK resulting from heroin use between 1990 and the most recent year for which figures are available (137468). I am replying in his absence.
Methods for identifying deaths related to heroin differ among the constituent countries of the UK. Figures on the basis currently used in all countries are only available from 1994 onwards.
For Britain (England & Wales and Scotland), these figures represent the number of deaths where the underlying cause of death is regarded as resulting from drug-related poisoning, according to the current National Statistics definition, and heroin or morphine were either mentioned on the death certificate, or in additional available information. As heroin breaks down in the body into morphine, the latter may be detected at post mortem and recorded on the death certificate. Figures are therefore provided for deaths with a mention of either substance.
Figures for Northern Ireland represent deaths where the underlying cause was due to poisoning by opiates and related narcotics, code N965.0 in the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Division, (ICD9).
944WThe figures requested are presented in the table below:
Deaths with a mention of heroin or morphine1 in Britain, and in Northern Ireland those due to poisoning by opiates and related narcotics2, 1994–98 Year Number 1994 336 1995 439 1996 557 1997 525 1998 764 Total 2,621 1 Deaths with underlying cause codes 292, 304, 305.2–305.9, E850-E858, E950.0-E950.5, E962.0 and E980.0-E980.5, using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, (ICD9), where heroin or morphine was mentioned on the death certificate. 2Deaths with an underlying cause of ICD9 N965.0