title: [Circumstances at the time of death in drug fatalities].
abstract: The circumstances in drug-related deaths were investigated in this study. The basic client sample was composed of 743 drug addicts of the opiate type who had been admitted into the institute's drug-free outpatient program from 1969 to 1982. In this program, 91 clients died during the observation period. In order to be able to judge the various backgrounds adequately, a multiply subdivided classification system was developed for the death cases. Each case was recorded in three main categories: manner of death, cause of death, and phase of addiction. This was a more elaborate procedure than those commonly used since, in general, such death cases are only subdivided into a few groups that differ little from one another. Two manners of death predominated in this sample: accidents caused by poison (62%) and suicide (25%). Within in the various causes of death, poison cases prevailed (80%) and opiate intoxication (single or combined) was predominant (60%). Concerning the phase of addiction two phases were distinguished: the actual drug addiction phase (65%) and the intramural stay in prison or a hospital (25%). There were no significant sex-related differences. Various combinations regarding the mechanism of lethal opiate intoxication of drug addicts were scrutinized, concentrating on three approaches: the lack of opiate tolerance after periods of abstinence, the synergistic effect of simultaneously taking other CNS-depressant drugs, and differences in concentration in the heroin used. Our conclusions are given from the point of view of adequate counseling for drug addicts.
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009294:Narcotics / Q000506:poisoning; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000473:pathology*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000506:poisoning; D013405:Suicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
vernacular_title: Zu den Umständen des Todes bei Drogentodesfällen.