Table Y: Drug-related deaths, on the basis of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 'wide' definition, by selected drugs reported, 2003 to 2013
Drugs1,2
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Footnotes:
More than one drug may be reported per death. These are mentions of each drug, so do not add up to the overall total. Up to 2007, some pathologists reported only those drugs which they thought caused, or contributed to, the death. With effect from 2008, pathologists report separately:
(a) drugs which were implicated in, or which potentially contributed to, the cause of death; and
(b) other drugs which were present but which were not considered to have had any direct contribution to the death.
The figures for 2008 onwards are on the first basis - i.e. basis (a) - which is now the standard basis for figures for individual drugs. The figures for 2008 have been revised from those published in the 2008 edition.
There may be other differences between years and/or areas in the way in which the information was produced - more information can be found in Section 2 of the commentary.
The figures for some of the 'controlled' drugs may differ slightly from those given in earlier tables for two reasons. First, they were produced from what was the then General Register Office for Scotland's new database, rather than the old database (more information can be found in paragraph A4). Second, a small proportion of the deaths which involved controlled drugs were excluded from the figures which appear in the earlier tables, for reasons such as those given in paragraph A3.
e.g. amitriptyline, citalopram, dothiepin, fluoexetine, prothaiaden.
e.g. chlorpromazine, clozapine, olanzapine.
Including diazepam and temazepam (which appear separately below).
More information can be found in paragraph 3.3.1 of the commentary.
e.g. co-codamol or co-proxamol, or mention of dextropropoxyphene or propoxyphene (even if there is no mention of paracetamol or a compound analgesic).