Creating a DIN to tackle drug-related deaths in the community

Brighton and Hove has one of the highest rates of drug-related deaths in the UK. The deceased commonly have had contact with a number of organizations isolated from each other. The aim of this study was to explore aspects of drug addiction in Brighton as the first stage in the creation of a local Drug addiction Intervention Network (DIN) and to make recommendations about improving the effectiveness of medical contacts so that modifiable risk factors could be addressed appropriately and consistently. The coroner's records of the drug-related deaths in 1998 for Brighton and Hove were cross-referenced with computerized records of the Accident & Emergency department of the local hospital and the police station. Of the 36 drug misusers who died during the year, most were male, mean age 34 years. Alcohol was a common comorbid finding. Seventy-eight per cent were known to the A&E department and 62% had been arrested locally during 1997 or 1998. Such retrospective data can only give limited information. We, therefore, performed a prospective survey. It was carried out by the forensic medical examiner (FME) in 1997-1998, interviewing 41 arrestees to give a profile of the criminally involved drug misusers. With the information obtained, the A&E doctors and FMEs were able to review the medical advice given and establish a protocol for the transfer of severely intoxicated arrestees.