title: Exploring Prospective Predictors of Illicit Drug-Toxicity Deaths: Evidence From the General Social Survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was based on over 30,000 U.S. respondents who completed General Social Surveys between 1978 and 2002.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We approached these respondents prospectively, comparing and contrasting the responses of those who subsequently died from drug-poisonings (N = 135) with all respondents who were still living, N = 23,559.
  
  
  METHODS
  We employed cross-tabulation and logistic regression analyses to test for statistically significant differences between drug-poisoning death casualties and all living respondents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consistent with past research findings, younger males were over-represented among drug death casualties. Also consistent with past studies, drug casualties showed evidence of perceiving themselves as socially marginalized in comparison to living respondents: More reported themselves in poorer health, as having been sexual minority members during the last 5 years, as having spent their younger years in homes where parents' marriages disrupted, with fewer owning homes and feeling less satisfied about their financial situations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These exploratory findings obtained from a general population survey reinforce findings from clinical studies and help advance clinical assessments of potential at-risk individuals who might be identified sooner, lest they succumb to future fatal drug poisonings.
authors.affiliation: a Sociology, Nassau Community College , Garden City , New York , USA.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Feigelman
authors.affiliation: b New York Medical College , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Zohn
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rosen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs
keywords: drug poisoning deaths; illegal drug use; illicit drug mortality; prospective study