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<p>The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.</p><p>Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2013:</p><p>As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what changes there have been in the number of deaths resulting from the use of paracetamol and co-proxamol in each of the last five years. (177090)</p><p>The following table provides the number of drug-related deaths associated with paracetamol (not from a compound formulation) and co-proxamol (paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene) in England and Wales, for deaths registered between 2008 and 2012 (the latest year available).</p><p>It is important to note that up to 30% of these deaths had more than one substance mentioned on the death certificate, and it is not possible to tell which drug was primarily responsible for the death. Also for around 10% of drug related deaths no information is provided on the death certificate about which substances were involved. More information on how to interpret data on drug-related deaths can be found in the following bulletin.</p><p>The number of deaths related to drug poisoning registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age, cause and the specific substance involved are published annually on the National Statistics website. The latest Statistical Bulletin on deaths from drug-related poisoning was published in August 2012 at:</p><p>http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health3/deaths-related-to-drug-poisoning/index.html</p><p><table><thead><tr><td valign="top">Table1: Number of deaths related to drug poisoning where paracetamol (notfrom a compound formulation) or co-proxamol was mentioned on the deathcertificate, England and Wales, deaths registered between 2008 and20121,2,3,4<br /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">Deaths<br /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">RegistrationYear<br /></td><td valign="top">Paracetamol<br /></td><td valign="top">Co-proxamol<br /></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td valign="top">2008<br /></td><td valign="top">147<br /></td><td valign="top">48<br /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">2009<br /></td><td valign="top">160<br /></td><td valign="top">32<br /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">2010<br /></td><td valign="top">139<br /></td><td valign="top">13<br /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">2011<br /></td><td valign="top">127<br /></td><td valign="top">18<br /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">2012<br /></td><td valign="top">123<br /></td><td valign="top">6<br /></td></tr></tbody><tfoot><tr><td valign="top">1Cause of death related to drug poisoning was defined using theInternational Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD 10) codesshown in Box 1following.<br />2Deaths were included where the underlying cause was drug-related, andwhere paracetamol or co-proxamol was mentioned on the deathcertificate. Figures for paracetamol do not include paracetamol from acompound formulation. Figures for co-proxamol include those where bothparacetamol and dextropropoxyphene were mentioned and wheredextropropoxyphene was mentioned alone as it is very rarely ingestedexcept in combination withparacetamol.<br />3Figures include deaths ofnon-residents.<br />4Figures are based on deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring inyears 2008 to 2012. Due to the length of time it takes to hold aninquest, it can take months for a drug-related death to be registeredin England and Wales and Northern Ireland. Registration delays do notexist in Scotland. Additional information on registration delays fordrug-related deaths can be found in the annual statisticalbulletin:<br />www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health3/deaths-related-to-drug-poisoning/index.html<br /></td></tr></tfoot></table></p><p><table><thead><tr><td valign="top">Box1: ICD-10 codes used to define deaths related to drugpoisoning<br /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">Description<br /></td><td valign="top">ICD10Codes<br /></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td valign="top">Mentaland behavioural disorders due to drug use (excluding alcohol andtobacco)<br /></td><td valign="top">F11-F16,F18-F19<br /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">Accidentalpoisoning by drugs, medicaments and biologicalsubstances<br /></td><td valign="top">X40-X44<br /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">Intentionalself-poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biologicalsubstances<br /></td><td valign="top">X60-X64<br /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">Assaultby drugs, medicaments and biologicalsubstances<br /></td><td valign="top">X85<br /></td></tr><tr><td valign="top">Poisoningby drugs, medicaments and biological substances, undeterminedintent<br /></td><td valign="top">Y10-Y14<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p> |