HC Deb 29 October 2002 vol 391 cc738-9W
Mr. Laurence Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have died as a result of(a) smoking, (b) alcohol and (c) drugs, in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [77050]

Ms Blears

It is estimated that smoking causes 120,000 deaths in the United Kingdom each year.1

Estimates of deaths from alcohol range between 5,000 and 40,000 per annum in England and Wales, reflecting the wide range of methods of calculation used in many studies. The trend data requested is not available.

The available information on drug-related deaths is shown in the table.

1Source:

The UK Smoking Epidemic: Deaths in 1995— health education authority (comparable figures are not available for other years).

Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drug related deaths were caused in the last five years by(a) heroin, (b) crack cocaine, (c) cocaine, (d) ecstasy, (e) cannabis, (f) alcohol, (g) solvents and (h) prescription drugs; and how many people have used NHS services to treat (i) addiction to and (ii) the adverse effects of using each of these drugs in each of the last five years. [76938]

Ms Blears

Information on deaths owing to substance abuse is shown in the table:

Numbers of deaths where selected substances were mentioned on the death certificate, England and Wales, 1996 to 2000
Drug 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
(a) Heroin and Morphine 466 445 646 754 926
(b) and (c) Cocaine 19 39 66 88 80
(d) MDMA/ Ecstasy 16 12 16 26 36
(e) Cannabis 12 13 5 8 11

Note:

It should be noted that the figures provided are for the last five years available.

Source:

Death related to drug poisoning: England and Wales 1993–2000;Health Statistics Quarterly 13, Spring 2002, Office for National Statistics; ONS database of drug-related poisonings.

Estimates range that between 5,000 and 40,000 deaths per annum are caused by alcohol in England and Wales, reflecting the wide range of methods of calculation used in many studies: consequently the trend data requested are not available.

Information on deaths owing to volatile substance abuse is shown in the table:

Deaths Associated with Volatile Substance Abuse (VSA)
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
(g)VSA 78 78 80 75 64

Note:

It should be noted that the figures provided are for the last five years available.

Source:

Trends in death associated with Abuse of Volatile Substances, Report no.15, St. George's Hospital Medical School, June 2002.

Information on deaths through prescription drugs is not available centrally.

Up to March 2001, the number of drug users in treatment with drug misuse agencies and general practitioners was around 118,500. Over the two-year period from 1998–99 to 2000–01, there has been a 16 per cent. increase in the numbers of drug users accessing drug treatment services. National health service trusts provide the majority of medical treatment services, while the voluntary sector primarily provides rehabilitation services. The great majority of drug users, 87 per cent., were receiving treatment within NHS services.

Information is not available centrally as to how many people have used NHS services to treat the adverse effects of using drugs.