Drug related morbidity and mortality

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 16.8% of mortality in Spain is caused by tobacco, while alcohol causes 3% and illegal drugs, 0.6%. Regarding the burden of disease, 12.3% results from smoking, 7.6% from alcohol and 3.9% from illegal drug use. In recent years in Spain, there has been a notable change in both the type and pattern of consumption of psycho-active substances, producing a corresponding change in associated morbidity and mortality. Among illegal drugs, heroin has been the principal cause of death. Even though mortality has fallen since 1996, its use was responsible for 16% of overall deaths among young men in 2000. Since the 90s, cocaine has been the illegal substance resulting in greater morbidity; it is the number one illegal drug occasioning emergency and treatment demands. Cocaine has also been observed to be ever more present in cases of fatal overdose, with as many as 50% of mortalities showing cocaine in blood samples. As far as morbidity and mortality associated with alcohol and tobacco consumption goes, a slight drop, which may be linked to the change in prevalence and patterns of consumption, has been recorded since the middle of the 90s.