Analysis of trends in deaths from accidental drug poisoning in teenagers, 1985-95

摘要

Surveys in secondary schools over the past 25 years have shown large increases in the number of teenagers exposed to drugs. A study in Wolverhampton found that the proportion of secondary school pupils who had been offered drugs more than doubled between 1989 and 1994. The proportion of pupils who had been offered the psychostimulant drug Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) increased from 5% to 43% between 1989 and 1994. Accidental overdose and acute severe complications are important causes of death among drug misusers. We examined trends in death rates from accidental poisoning in teenagers aged 15-19 years from 1985 to 1995.