Heroin-related deaths in New South Wales, 1992: toxicological findings and circumstances.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the circumstances of death and toxicological findings in all heroin-related deaths in New South Wales in 1992.


METHODS
Coronial files of all cases of heroin-related deaths were reviewed. A standardised form was used to collect information on sociodemographics, history of drug use, circumstances of death, and results of toxicological analysis for each case.


RESULTS
152 heroin-related deaths were identified. Subjects had a mean age of 29.7 years, 82% were male, and 98% were not enrolled in a methadone treatment program at the time of their deaths. Deaths occurred in the home environment in 68% of cases and in the company of at least one other person in 58%. There was intervention before the subject's death in only 21% of cases. Two or more drug classes were detected in 71% of subjects; alcohol was detected in 45%, with a mean blood alcohol concentration of 0.14 g/100mL.


CONCLUSIONS
Fatal heroin overdose is potentially preventable. Educating users about the risks of co-administering alcohol and other depressant drugs with heroin, the comparative safety of injecting heroin in the company of others and the need to call for intervention sooner may reduce the frequency of heroin-related deaths.
Zador
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Drug and Alcohol Services, Division of Public Health, South Western Sydney Area Health Service, NSW.
Sunjic
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Darke
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002423:Cause of Death; D003334:Coroners and Medical Examiners; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D003932:Heroin / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D003932:Heroin