NCJ Number
190848
Journal
Clinical Forensic Medicine Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2000 Pages: 130-138
Date Published
September 2000
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study explored creation of a Drug addiction Intervention Network to address the problem of drug-related deaths in the community.
Abstract
Brighton and Hove has one of the highest rates of drug-related deaths in the United Kingdom. The deceased commonly have had contact with a number of organizations isolated from each other. This study explored aspects of drug addiction in Brighton as the first step in creating a local Drug addiction Intervention Network (DIN) and made recommendations about improving the effectiveness of medical contacts so that modifiable risk factors could be addressed appropriately and consistently. The study cross-referenced coroner's records of drug-related deaths in 1998 for Brighton and Hove with computerized records of the Accident & Emergency department of the local hospital and the police station. Of the 36 drug misusers who died during the year, most were male, mean age 34 years. Alcohol was a common comorbid finding. Seventy-eight percent were known to the A&E department and 62 percent had been arrested locally during 1997 or 1998. The forensic medical examiner (FME) in 1997-1998 interviewed 41 arrestees to obtain a profile of the criminally involved drug misusers. With this information, the A&E doctors and FME's were able to review the medical advice given and establish a protocol for the transfer of severely intoxicated arrestees. Figures, references