Dáil Éireann - Volume 520 - 08 June, 2000

Written Answers. - Drug-Related Deaths.

Mr. G. Mitchell Mr. G. Mitchell

126. Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of deaths here which were alcohol related and tobacco related for each of the years 1990, 1995 1999 and to date in 2000. [16280/00]

Mr. Martin Mr. Martin

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin): The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the two tables below for the years 1990, 1995 and 1999. Figures for the year 2000 are not yet available.

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Table 1 refers to direct alcohol-related deaths. Diagnosis codes regarded as being directly related to alcohol consumption include cirrhosis of the liver, chronic pancreatitis, alcohol-induced gastritis and a number of other conditions. Abuse of alcohol can also leave individuals vulnerable to malignancies, infectious diseases, circulatory and respiratory disorders, digestive and urinary system diseases, accidents, violence and suicide. These causes cover the majority of all deaths occurring each year, and estimates of the pro[1355] portion of deaths within each category caused directly by alcohol are not currently available.

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With respect to tobacco, a study by Richard Peto and others, titled, “Mortality from Smoking in Developed Countries, 1995-2000” constructed a methodology to estimate the proportion of deaths from each smoking-related cause in each [1356] developed country due directly to smoking. The estimate for Ireland amounts to approximately 6,000 deaths annually or 20% of all mortality.

Table 2 shows deaths from all causes which are regarded as smoking-related. Approximately half of all deaths fall into this category. Based on the methodology described above, up to 40% of these deaths may have tobocco consumption as their ultimate cause.

Table 1

Deaths directly related to alcohol by cause

Table 2

Tobacco-related Deaths by Cause

Dáil Éireann 520 Written Answers. Drug-Related Deaths.

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