title: Mortality of intravenous drug users: attenders of the Wellington Drug Clinic, 1972-89.
abstract: A mortality study of 997 patients registered for treatment at the Wellington Drug Clinic since 1971 was undertaken by examining the New Zealand death records. Sixty-seven known deaths were reported. The mortality rates were increased 11.5 times under the age of 25 years, and 5.8 times for age 25-34 years, but not significantly thereafter. There were 7 deaths from trauma, 8 from suicide, and 28 accidental deaths. Myocarditis was the cause of death in four cases. In the 28 drug-related deaths the principle drugs incriminated were dextropropoxyphene, barbiturates, chloral hydrate, methadone and other opiates. Twenty-one deaths were due to unrelated diseases. It was considered important to document mortality in intravenous drug users in the 'pre-HIV' era. This study demonstrates quite low death rates from opioid drugs themselves.
authors.affiliation: Wellington Alcohol and Drug Centre, Wellington Hospital, Private Bag, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Dukes
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Robinson