title: Descriptive epidemiology of mortality in New Jersey due to combinations of codeine and glutethimide.
abstract: A review of records of the Toxicology Laboratory of the New Jersey State Medical Examiner's Office yielded a total of 36 deaths attributable to overdose of "hits," an oral combination of codeine and glutethimide, during 1980-1981. During the same period, 126 deaths due to heroin overdose and 46 deaths due to methadone overdose occurred. The majority of hits cases (77.8%) occurred in the Newark vicinity. Demographic features of persons who died of the three agents are presented, and some explanations are advanced for the unexpectedly high mortality due to the oral narcotic combination.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003061:Codeine; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005984:Glutethimide; D003932:Heroin; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone; D009515:New Jersey; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D003932:Heroin; D005984:Glutethimide; D008691:Methadone; D003061:Codeine