An index of fatal toxicity for drugs of misuse.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the lethal toxicity of five commonly-used illicit substances by relating the number of associated deaths to their availability.


METHODS
An index of toxicity was calculated for each of five drugs [heroin, cocaine/crack, ecstasy (MDMA), amphetamine and cannabis] as the ratio of the number of deaths associated with that substance to its availability in the period 2003-2007. Three separate proxy measures of availability were used (number of users as determined by household surveys, number of seizures by law enforcement agencies and estimates of the market size). All data are related to England and Wales only.


RESULTS
There was a broad correlation between all three denominators of availability. Not unexpectedly, heroin and cannabis showed, respectively, the highest and lowest toxicities. The index of fatal toxicity of MDMA was close to that of amphetamine and cocaine/crack. There was a rank correlation between this index and other measures of lethal toxicity based on safety ratios.


CONCLUSIONS
These results are contrary to widely-held public views of the relative fatal toxicity of MDMA.
King
Leslie A
LA
les@king.myzen.co.uk
Corkery
John M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D003644:Death Certificates; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000633:toxicity*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000401:mortality*; D014852:Wales; D055815:Young Adult
D013287:Illicit Drugs