- EN
Drug-related deaths and mortality (DRD)
Summary
Drug-related mortality is a complex phenomenon, which accounts for a considerable percentage of deaths among young people in many European countries. The EMCDDA, in collaboration with national experts, has defined an epidemiological indicator with two components at present: deaths directly caused by illegal drugs (drug-induced deaths) and mortality rates among problem drug users.
These two components can fulfil several public health and methodological objectives, notably as an indicator of the overall health impact of drug use and the components of this impact, identify particularly risky patterns of use, and potentially identify new risks.
The appropriate implementation of the component on deaths directly caused by drugs requires the existence of quality information sources: general mortality registries and/or special mortality registries. An EMCDDA protocol establishes common criteria and procedures to extract and report cases from existing registries. Estimation of mortality rates among drug users requires follow-up studies, for which a working protocol has been developed. The quality of key indicator information depends on the quality of its sources, and will increase with improvement of post-mortem investigations and with full use of this information for death certification and coding.
Considerable progress has been obtained in this indicator over the last 12 years, and in many European Union (EU) countries both General and Special Mortality Registries exist, and cohort studies have been or are being conducted. However, considerable work still has to be done in some countries to improve quality and completeness of drug-related mortality information. This improvement has to be seen in general in the context of improvement of the quality of information on external causes of death and youth mortality.
More information on the DRD key indicator can be found in the 'DRD toolbox' on this page.
DRD toolbox
The DRD toobox provides access to a range of DRD-related material developed by the EMCDDA over the years. It is intended mainly for researchers and experts in the field of epidemiology. New resources will be added as they arrive.
Statistics
Key documents
- Overview of the DRD key indicator (10 pages, PDF)
This document provides an overview of the drug-related deaths and mortality among drug users key indicoator. It is written in an easy to understand manner and is intended for a wider readership. - DRD statistical methods and definitions
Part of the EMCDDA Statistical bulletin, this text provides a summary of the methods and definitions used in DRD and is primarily intended to assist in the interpretation of data. - The DRD standard protocol, version 3.0
- The DRD standard protocol, version 3.2
This updated protocol (2010) is the most detailed description available of the methodology used for the 'drug-induced death' component of the key indicator. It is principally aimed at professionals in the field. - Mortality cohort guidelines (PDF) This updated protocol (2012) is the most detailed description available of the methodology used for the 'mortality' component of the key indicator. It is principally aimed at professionals in the field.
Other methodological resources
- Quality and comparability of data on drug-related deaths (feasability study, 1998)
- DRD standard version 1.0 field trial report (2001)
- Implementation of the EMCDDA standard guidelines on the drug-related deaths indicator — EMCDDA project CT.RTX.22 (2002)
- Toxicology field trial. Form to collect complementary information on substances involved in acute drug-related deaths. Origin of the current complementary information required on Fonte Template ST5 (2008–09)
- Studies
- Cohort studies on mortality
- Literature review of studies of mortaility and feasibility study for a common methodology (1997)
- Cohort studies on mortality report 1 (1999)
- Cohort studies on mortality report 2 (2000)
- Mortality of drug users in the EU (2002)
- Estimating the annual number of deaths among problem opioid users in Europe. Supplement to the Selected issue ‘Mortality related to drug use in Europe: public health implications’ (2011)
- Special Mortality Registries
- Inventory of the national Special Mortality Registries in Europe and description of the core data available (2009)
- Annex I: Workshop on Special Mortality Registries, DRD expert meeting (2009)
- Annex II: Questionnaire on Special Registries on drug related death in Europe (2009)
- Annex III: Responses to questionnaire from 15 countries. Questionnaires on Special Registries on drug related death in Europe (2009) (Response from Portugal)
Data collection tools
- Current EMCDDA questionnaire for DRD reporting (Fonte template 5)
- Current EMCDDA questionnaire for DRD reporting — evolution (Fonte template 6)
- Current EMCDDA questionnaire for DRD reporting — cohorts of drug users recruited in treatment services (Fonte template 18)
Page last updated: Friday, 15 March 2013