Author/Editor		Zorec-Karlovšek, M
Title		Has the UNODC (United nations office on drugs and crime) warning on increased heroin production arrived too late?
Type		članek
Source		In: TIAFT 2005. East meets West in forensic toxicology. The National institute of scientific investigation (NISI) symposium on forensic toxicology and the International association of forensic toxicologists 43rd international meeting; 2005 Aug 29 - Sep 2; Seoul. Seoul: National institute of scientific investigation,
Publication year		2005
Volume		str. 1-7
Language		eng
Abstract		A higher purity of street heroin could be one of the reasons for an increased number of il(egal drug-related deaths recorded in 2004 in Slovenia. According to the Register of post-mortem toxicology the death rate in 2004 expressed per 100,000 inhabitants was 1.4. From 1997 to 2003, the average death rate from direct drug-related deaths was 0.888, and the trend line showed a stabilisation or a very slight decrease. In 2004, the percentage of heroin/morphinerelated deaths represented 85.7 % of all lethal intoxications with illegal drugs, compared to 71.3% in the period 1997-2003. In 25% of these cases, death occurred shortly after injecting heroin. An average age of 32.8 years (median 30.5 years), was observed in the group of heroin/morphine-related deaths combined with ethanol and other drugs in 2004, indicating a group of opiate users with a longer history of drug abuse.
Descriptors		STREET DRUGS HEROIN DEPENDENCE MORPHINE NARCOTICS METHADONE OVERDOSE FORENSIC MEDICINE