Revealed: Over 50 'poisoning deaths' due to alcohol or other drugs across Carlow in ten years
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There were over 50 "poisoning deaths" due to alcohol or other drugs in Carlow between 2007 and 2016, figures from the Irish National Drug-Related Deaths Index have revealed.
The NDRDI is an epidemiological database which records cases of death by drug and alcohol poisoning, and deaths among drug users and those who are alcohol dependent.
Poisonings are considered as deaths directly due to the toxic effect of the presence in the body of a drug or drugs and/or other substance(s).
Other terms used to describe such deaths include overdose, directly drug-related death and acute drug death. Deaths arising from adverse reactions to prescribed medication are not included in the NDRDI.
Non-poisonings are considered as deaths in individuals with a history of drug dependency or non-dependent abuse of drugs, irrespective of whether the use of the drug was directly implicated in the death.
Sinn Féin TD Gerry Adams asked ask the Minister for Health about the mortality rates for alcohol-related causes and for drug-related causes by county.
The figures provided by Catherine Byrne, Minister of State at the Department of Health, revealed that there were 53 "poisoning deaths due to alcohol and/or other drugs" between 2007 and 2016 in Carlow.
While there were 21 non-poisoning deaths among people who use drugs (excluding alcohol) in Carlow and 47 non-poisoning deaths among people known to be alcohol dependent.
The NDRDI is maintained by the Health Research Board (HRB).