Table 5: Drug-related deaths by sex, age and underlying cause of death1, Scotland, 2014
All causes of deathUnderlying cause of death (ICD10 codes)
Drug abuse
(F11-F16, F19)
Accidental poisoning
(X40-X44)
Intentional self-poisoning
(X60-X64)
Assault by drugs, etc.
(X85)
Undetermined intent
(Y10-Y14)
Footnote:
  1. The coding rules were changed with effect from the start of 2011, as explained in paragraph 2.6 of the commentary.
    Briefly, 'drug abuse' deaths from 'acute intoxication' were previously counted under 'mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use' (unless they were known to be due to intentional self-harm or assault). They are now counted under the appropriate 'poisoning' category.
    For example, if the cause of death of a known drug abuser was given as 'adverse effects of heroin' (and it was not intentional self-harm or assault), the underlying cause of death would be coded as follows:
    (a) up to 2010 - as 'F11 - mental and behavioural disorders due to use of opioids
    (b) from 2011 - the appropriate 'poisoning' category, such as 'X42 - accidental poisoning by and exposure to narcotics and psychodysleptics (hallucinogens) not elsewhere classified'
    National Records of Scotland has estimated what the figures for 2011 onwards would have been, had the data been coded using the old rules.
(i) New coding rules
All deaths613 32 470 45 0 66
Males452 24 359 25 0 44
Females161 8 111 20 0 22
Under 2547 3 38 4 0 2
25-34157 7 131 9 0 10
35-44213 13 171 5 0 24
45-54148 9 104 16 0 19
55 and over48 0 26 11 0 11
Males
Under 2537 2 31 2 0 2
25-34117 6 98 5 0 8
35-44161 9 134 3 0 15
45-54110 7 81 9 0 13
55 and over27 0 15 6 0 6
Females
Under 2510 1 7 2 0 0
25-3440 1 33 4 0 2
35-4452 4 37 2 0 9
45-5438 2 23 7 0 6
55 and over21 0 11 5 0 5
(ii) Old coding rules
All deaths613 429 108 45 0 31
Males452 330 81 25 0 16
Females161 99 27 20 0 15
Under 2547 32 11 4 0 0
25-34157 124 24 9 0 0
35-44213 170 27 5 0 11
45-54148 88 33 16 0 11
55 and over48 15 13 11 0 9
Males
Under 2537 26 9 2 0 0
25-34117 90 22 5 0 0
35-44161 132 21 3 0 5
45-54110 73 22 9 0 6
55 and over27 9 7 6 0 5
Females
Under 2510 6 2 2 0 0
25-3440 34 2 4 0 0
35-4452 38 6 2 0 6
45-5438 15 11 7 0 5
55 and over21 6 6 5 0 4