Table NPS2: Drug-related deaths on the basis of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 'wide' definition, which involved New Psychoactive Substances (NPSs), 2005 to 2015
20052006200720082009201020112012201320142015
Footnotes:
  1. The substances which are counted (for the purpose of these figures) as 'New Psychoactive Substances' are described in Annex E.
  2. e.g. the death was after 15 April 2010, the cause of death was certified as 'mephedrone intoxication', and no other substance was said to have been found.
  3. e.g. the cause of death was certified as 'adverse effects of methadone and mephedrone'. Note that the date of death is not a factor, because methadone has 'always' been controlled.
  4. e.g. the death occurred up to 15 April 2010, the cause of death was certified as ""mephedrone intoxication"", and no other substance was said to have been found.
  5. e.g. the death occurred up to 15 April 2010, and both mephedrone and an uncontrolled volatile substance were said to be implicated in, or potentially contributed, to the death.
  6. e.g. the cause of death was given as 'heroin, alcohol and diazepam toxicity', and BZP and TFMPP were also present.
  7. an artificial example would be a death which occurred up to 15 April 2010, co-codamol was said to be implicated in, or potentially contributed, to the death; mephedrone was said to be present but did not contribute to the death.
* apart, perhaps, from alcohol.
** apart, perhaps, from alcohol.
All drug-related deaths (on the 'wide' definition)480577630737716692749734685743813
Deaths which involved 'new psychoactive substances'100004114747113114112
of which:
(a) deaths for which one (or more) new psychoactive substances was implicated in, or potentially contributed to the death0000392832606274
(i) included in this report's statistics (i.e. in the Drug Strategy 'baseline' definition, as implemented by NRS)0000262630585572
of which:
NPS the only substance(s)* implicated in the death200000403422
Other substance(s)** also implicated in the death30000222627545370
(ii) not included in this report's statistics00001322272
of which:
NPS the only substance(s)* implicated in the death400000312251
Other substance(s)** also implicated in the death500001010021
(iii) total of (i) + (ii):
NPS the only substance(s)* implicated in the death00000715673
Other substance(s)** also implicated in the death0000322727545571
(b) deaths for which one (or more) new psychoactive substances was present, but not considered to have contributed to the death0000121915535238
of which:
(i) included in this report's statistics60000121915525136
(ii) not included in this report's statistics700000000112
Total: all deaths which involved new psychoactive substances00004114747113114112
of which:
(i) included in this report's statistics0000384545110106108
(ii) not included in this report's statistics00001322384