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The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:"As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many (a) drug-related and (b) methadone-related deaths there were in each year since 1997. (285232)""The table attached provides the number of deaths where (a) the underlying cause was drug poisoning, and (b) methadone was mentioned on the death certificate either alone or with other substances, in England and Wales, from 1997 to 2007 (the latest year available)."<Table width="100%" summary="" cellspacing="3" cellpadding="3" border="0"><thead><tr><th>Table 1: Number of deaths from (a) drug poisoning¹ and (b) where methadone was mentioned on the death certificate, England and Wales² , 1997 to 2007³, 4</th></tr></thead><TR><TD>Deaths (persons)</TD></TR><TR><TD></TD><TD>Drug poisoning</TD><TD>Methadone alone</TD><TD>Methadone with other substances</TD></TR><TR><TD>1997</TD><TD>2,817</TD><TD>288</TD><TD>437</TD></TR><TR><TD>1998</TD><TD>2,976</TD><TD>230</TD><TD>398</TD></TR><TR><TD>1999</TD><TD>3,110</TD><TD>178</TD><TD>336</TD></TR><TR><TD>2000</TD><TD>2,932</TD><TD>150</TD><TD>269</TD></TR><TR><TD>2001</TD><TD>3,093</TD><TD>126</TD><TD>244</TD></TR><TR><TD>2002</TD><TD>2,830</TD><TD>91</TD><TD>199</TD></TR><TR><TD>2003</TD><TD>2,623</TD><TD>74</TD><TD>201</TD></TR><TR><TD>2004</TD><TD>2,787</TD><TD>105</TD><TD>219</TD></TR><TR><TD>2005</TD><TD>2,762</TD><TD>98</TD><TD>220</TD></TR><TR><TD>2006</TD><TD>2,570</TD><TD>125</TD><TD>241</TD></TR><TR><TD>2007</TD><TD>2,640</TD><TD>167</TD><TD>325</TD></TR><tfoot><TR><td>¹ Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 onwards. Deaths were included where the underlying cause was (a) due to drug poisoning (corresponding ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes are shown in Box 1), and (b) where methadone was mentioned on the death certificate, either alone or in combination with other substances.</td></TR><TR><td>² Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents.</td></TR><TR><td>³ Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.</td></TR><TR><td>4 Figures for deaths registered in 2008 are provisional.</td></TR></tfoot></Table><Table width="100%" summary="" cellspacing="3" cellpadding="3" border="0"><thead><tr><th>Box 1. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes used to define drug-related poisoning deaths by underlying cause</th></tr></thead><TR><TD>Description</TD><TD>ICD-9</TD><TD>ICD-10</TD></TR><TR><TD>Mental and behavioural disorders due to drug use (excluding alcohol and tobacco)</TD><TD>292, 304, 305.2-305.9</TD><TD>F11-F16, F18-F19</TD></TR><TR><TD>Accidental poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances</TD><TD>E850-E858</TD><TD>X40-X44</TD></TR><TR><TD>Intentional self-poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances</TD><TD>E950.0-E950.5</TD><TD>X60-X64</TD></TR><TR><TD>Assault by drugs, medicaments and biological substances</TD><TD>E962.0</TD><TD>X85</TD></TR><TR><TD>Poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances, undetermined intent</TD><TD>E980.0-E980.5</TD><TD>Y10-Y14</TD></TR></Table> |