Heroin-related deaths in regional New South Wales, 1992-1996

FRANÇAIS :
Entre 1992 et 1996, les décès liés à l'héroïne dans le New South Wales ont augmenté de 23 à 53 par an, principalement dans les régions de Wollongong Illawarra, Newcastle et la côte Nord. Ce sont surtout des hommes (83%) d'âge moyen 31,5 ans. L'alcool est détecté dans le sang pour la moitié des cas et les benzodiazépines dans 29% des cas. Il existe de grandes variations régionales concernant la concentration sanguine de morphine comprise entre 0,25mg/l et 0,56mg/l, et qui s'avère plus élevée en province que dans la capitale.
ENGLISH :
The coronial files of all 188 heroin-related fatalities that occurred in regional New South Wales between 1992 and 1996 were inspected. There was a significant increase in fatalities, rising from 23 deaths in 1992 to 53 during 1996. The regions in which the most deaths occurred were Wollongong/Illawarra (43 deaths), Newcastle/Hunter (35) and the far north coast (25). The mean age of cases was 31.5 years and 83% were male, and there were no significant trends in demographic characteristics of cases over the study period. The median blood morphine concentration of cases was 0.39 mg/l (range 0.05-4.5 mg/l). Alcohol was detected in 50% of cases and benzodiazepines in 29%. There were large regional variations in toxicology results, with median blood morphine concentrations ranging from 0.25 mg/l among south coast cases to 0.56 mg/l in mid-western New South Wales. Compared to Sydney metropolitan cases, regional cases had a higher median blood morphine concentration, were less likely to have cocaine detected, were more likely to have died in a home environment and to have been born in Australia. (Author's abstract.)