TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2005//
TI  - The effect of a reduction in heroin supply on fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses in New South Wales, Australia
JO  - Medical journal of Australia
A1  - Degenhardt, Louisa J.
A1  - Conroy, Elizabeth
A1  - Gilmour, Stuart
A1  - Hall, W. D.
SP  - 20
EP  - 23
VL  - 182
IS  - 1
N2  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of a sudden and dramatic decrease in heroin availability, concomitant with increases in price and decreases in purity, on fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses in New South Wales, Australia. DESIGN AND SETTING: Time-series analysis was conducted where possible on data on overdoses collected from NSW hospital emergency departments, the NSW Ambulance Service, and all suspected drug-related deaths referred to the NSW Coroner's court. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The number of suspected drug-related deaths where heroin and other drugs were mentioned; ambulance calls to suspected opioid overdoses; and emergency department admissions for overdoses on heroin and other drugs. RESULTS: Both fatal and non-fatal heroin overdoses decreased significantly after heroin supply reduced; the reductions were greater among younger age groups than older age groups. There were no clear increases in non-fatal overdoses with cocaine, methamphetamines or benzodiazepines recorded at hospital emergency departments after the reduction in heroin supply. Data on drug-related deaths suggested that heroin use was the predominant driver of drug-related deaths in NSW, and that when heroin supply was reduced overdose deaths were more likely to involve a wider combination of drugs. CONCLUSION: A reduction in heroin supply reduced heroin-related deaths, and did not result in a concomitant increase, to the same degree, in deaths relating to other drugs. Younger people were more affected by the reduction in supply.
LA  - 
SN  - 0025-729X
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -