Table NPS2: Drug-related deaths on the basis of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 'wide' definition which involved New Psychoactive Substances (NPSs), 2003 to 2013
20032004200520062007200820092010201120122013
Footnotes:
  1. The substances which are counted (for the purpose of these figures) as 'New Psychoactive Substances' are described in Annex E.
  2. e.g. the death was after 15 April 2010, the cause of death was certified as ""mephedrone intoxication"", and no other substance was said to have been found.
  3. e.g. the cause of death was certified as 'adverse effects of methadone and mephedrone'. Note that the date of death is not a factor, because methadone has 'always' been controlled.
  4. e.g. the death occurred up to 15 April 2010, the cause of death was certified as ""mephedrone intoxication"", and no other substance was said to have been found.
  5. e.g. the death occurred up to 15 April 2010, and both mephedrone and an uncontrolled volatile substance were said to be implicated in, or potentially contributed, to the death.
  6. e.g. the cause of death was given as 'heroin, alcohol and diazepam toxicity', and BZP and TFMPP were also present.
  7. an artificial example would be a death which occurred up to 15 April 2010, co-codamol was said to be implicated in, or potentially contributed, to the death; mephedrone was said to be present but did not contribute to the death.
* apart, perhaps, from alcohol. For example, these figures would include a death for which mephedrone and alcohol were the only substances implicated (jointly).
** apart, perhaps, from alcohol.
All drug-related deaths (on the 'wide' definition)493546480577630737716692749734685
Deaths which involved 'New Psychoactive Substances'10000004114747113
of which:
(a) deaths for which one (or more) New Psychoactive Substances was implicated in, or potentially contributed, to the death00000039283260
(i) included in this report's statistics (i.e. in the Drug Strategy 'baseline' definition, as implemented by NRS)00000026263057
of which:
NPS the only substance(s)* implicated in the death200000004033
Other substance(s)** also implicated in the death300000022262754
(ii) not included in this report's statistics00000013223
of which:
NPS the only substance(s)* implicated in the death400000003122
Other substance(s)** also implicated in the death500000010101
(b) deaths for which one (or more) New Psychoactive Substances was present but not considered to have contributed to the death00000012191553
of which:
(i) included in this report's statistics600000012191552
(ii) not included in this report's statistics700000000001
Total: all deaths which involved New Psychoactive Substances0000004114747113
of which:
(i) included in this report's statistics000000384545109
(ii) not included in this report's statistics00000013224