This paper presents some results of a study of the correlation between alcohol and narcotics from a `rough' epidemiological viewpoint, based on the investigation of drug-related fatal traffic accidents in Hamburg, Germany. 692 drug-related fatalities between 1980 and 1991 were studied, for almost all of which there were autopsies; 559 of them were male. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was estimated in 636 of these cases. Most of the drug deaths were caused by heroin intoxication, sometimes combined with intoxication by alcohol, barbiturates and benzodiazepines. Over 40% of drug-related fatalities had ingested various amounts of alcohol shortly before they died. The interaction between alcohol and opiates is difficult to assess, but includes a combined toxicological effect and risk behaviour. It is an important cause of death. There are insufficient data, at least in Hamburg, to estimate the influence of illegal drugs and intravenous drug abuse on fatal traffic accidents. Due to insufficient data, it is not possible to indicate the extent of the problem (descriptive epidemiology), or determine which illegal drugs are risk factors for collision involvement (analytical epidemiology). Compulsory toxicological investigations of injured and killed people would show additional drug-related cases.
Abstract