Drug-related deaths reported by Coroners in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man; police forces in Scotland; & the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency; annual report January-December 2009.

This eleventh annual report presents information on drug related deaths that occurred during 2009 and for which Coronial inquests and similar formal investigations have been completed. The main purpose of the Annual Report from the national programme on Substance Abuse Deaths (np-SAD)is to inform the Government’s monitoring of this important public health issue. The Programme’s principal function is to provide high-quality and consistent surveillance, and to detect and identify emerging trends and issues in respect of this phenomenon. In this way, it contributes to the reduction and prevention of drug-related deaths in the UK due to the misuse of both licit and illicit drugs.