Appendix 1.
deaths caused by drug use, drug involved, cause of death, age, 1990

            Age group (years)

Drug involved/ 0-14 15-34 35 and Totala Totals may not add due to rounding and/or the inclusion of age not stated.(a)
cause of death over

Alcohol

Cancers - 20 1 970 1 990

Alcoholism and alcoholic cirrhosis - 60 990 1 050

Road injuries 61 426 224 711

Other 21 392 2 441 2 854

Total 82 898 5 625 6 605

Tobacco

Cancers - 22 6 497 6 519

Ischaemic heart disease - 43 4 762 4 805

Chronic bronchitis - 2 3 530 3 533

Other 157 46 3 051 3 254

Total 157 113 17 840 18 110

Other drugs

Drug dependence

Opiates- 211 43 254

Barbiturates - 4 3 7

Other - 12 6 18

Accidental poisoning

Opiates - 56 16 72

Barbiturates - - - -

Other 6 44 48 98

Suicide

Opiates - 35 28 63

Barbiturates - 6 24 30

Other - 67 97 164

Poisoning, cause uncertain

Opiates - 32 13 45

Barbiturates - 1 - 1

Other - 14 19 33

Viral hepatitis (opiates) - 2 10 12

Opiate-caused low birthweight 2 - - 2

Infective endocarditis (opiates) - 1 8 9

Total opiates 2 337 118 457

Total barbiturates - 11 27 38

Total other 6 137 170 313

Total other drugs b Includes pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter medications.(b) 8 485 315 808

Total, all drugs 247 1 496 23 780 25 524

a Totals may not add due to rounding and/or the inclusion of age not stated.

b Includes pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter medications.

Source: Department of Health, Housing, Local Government and Community Services, based on ABS data