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NEWSFLASH

For Immediate Release
For information contact:
Toni Montier, Gaudenzia Inc.
106 W. Main Street
Norristown, PA 19401
(610) 239-9600 x206

June 7, 2005

Data on Drug Deaths in 32 Cities and Six States Released by SAMHSA

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recently unveiled findings on drug-related mortality from the 2003 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) that provide a picture of deaths involving recent drug use in six states and 32 metropolitan areas. Among the metropolitan areas, Baltimore and Albuquerque had the highest rates of drug misuse deaths, exceeding 200 deaths per one million population. Another 14 areas had drug misuse death rates that exceeded 100 deaths per one million population.

Six states provided mortality data to DAWN – Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah and Vermont. Fatality rates for drug misuse in these states ranged from 88 to 162 deaths per one million population. This is the first time there has been any state information from DAWN. These data show substantial variations in drug-related deaths across jurisdictions within the states, with the highest rates not always found in urban centers.

Participation in DAWN is voluntary so not all jurisdictions provide data. DAWN counts of drug-related deaths cannot be projected to the nation as a whole.

“Amazingly, the vast majority of people who need but do not receive treatment for a serious drug or alcohol problem don’t even recognize they have a problem,” SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie said. “Americans must begin to confront drug use – and drug users – honestly and directly. We must encourage those in need to enter and remain in treatment before it’s too late, before they become a mortality statistic.”

The DAWN mortality data indicate that the typical drug misuse death involves multiple drugs, an average of 2.7 drugs per case. Opiates, which include prescription pain relievers and heroin, were found more often than any other type of drug in 29 of the 32 metropolitan areas and all of the six states. Cocaine was the most frequently reported drug in three metropolitan areas and was in the top five drugs in 28 metropolitan areas and all six states. Alcohol was one of the five most common drugs in 30 of the 32 metropolitan areas and five of six states.

The report indicates that stimulants—reported as either methamphetamine or amphetamines—appeared in the top five drugs in five metropolitan areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul; Ogden-Clearfield, Utah; Phoenix; San Diego and San Francisco.

Other common drugs in drug misuse deaths were prescription antidepressants and benzodiazepines, which are anti-anxiety medications.

Drug-related suicide deaths were much less frequent than deaths involving drug misuse. On average, less than 20 percent of drug-related suicides involved an illicit drug. Alcohol was among the five most common drugs in drug-related suicides in all but one of the 32 metropolitan areas and five of the six states.

The following table summarizes the areas reporting to DAWN, with their rates of drug misuse deaths, rates of drug related suicides, and population covered by reports to DAWN:

Table 2

The full report is available online at http://dawninfo.samhsa.gov

SAMHSA is a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation’s substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment and mental health service delivery systems.