Health Research Board: 638 drug-related deaths and deaths among drug users in Ireland in 2009

The number of heroin-related deaths increased by 20% in 2009.

The latest figures from the Health Research Board (HRB) National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) show a total of 3,334 deaths in the six-year period 2004 to 2009. Of these deaths, 2,015 were due to poisoning and 1,319 were deaths of drug users arising from traumatic or medical causes.

Text: The number of deaths remained stable between 2008 and 2009. There were 638* deaths reported in 2009, compared to 641 in 2008. In the six-year period the number of deaths increased by 51%, from 422 in 2004 to 638 in 2009.

The number of deaths by poisoning in 2009 dropped slightly to 357, from 381 in 2008.

Health Research Board: 638 drug-related deaths and deaths among drug users in Ireland in 2009

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