Drug poisoning deaths in the United States, 1999–2012: a statistical adjustment analysis

Ruhm, Christopher J.

doi:10.1186/s12963-016-0071-7

Population Health Metrics

Table 3 Reported and adjusted drug involvement^a

From: Drug poisoning deaths in the United States, 1999–2012: a statistical adjustment analysis

Drug category	% [95 % CI]
	1999			2012
	Reported^b	Adjusted^c	% Difference^d	Reported^b	Adjusted^c	% Difference^d
Narcotics	58.9	77.8 [76.9–78.7]	32.2 [30.6–33.7]	60.7	81.5 [80.9–82.2]	34.3 [33.2–35.4]
Opioid analgesics	23.9	31.3 [30.2–32.4]	30.9 [26.2–35.6]	38.6	54.3 [53.6–55.0]	40.8 [39.0–42.5]
Other narcotics	42.4	58.3 [57.2–59.3]	37.6 [35.1–40.1]	27.9	38.4 [37.8–39.0]	37.7 [35.5–40.0]
Heroin	11.6	14.1 [13.3–14.9]	20.9 [14.2–27.7]	14.3	20.0 [19.4–20.5]	39.9 [36.2–43.6]
Cocaine	22.7	31.1 [30.0–32.1]	37.0 [32.4–41.6]	10.6	14.9 [14.4–15.3]	40.0 [35.5–44.5]
Sedatives	9.9	15.6 [14.7–16.6]	58.4 [48.8–68.0]	18.7	30.0 [29.4–30.7]	60.7 [57.1–64.2]
Benzodiazepines	6.7	11.4 [10.6–12.3]	69.6 [56.8–82.3]	15.7	25.6 [24.9–26.2]	62.6 [58.6–66.5]
Psychotropics	14.6	21.2 [20.1–22.2]	44.7 [37.7–51.7]	18.0	26.0 [25.4–26.6]	44.6 [41.2–48.0]
Antidepressants	10.4	16.3 [15.4–17.3]	57.1 [47.9–66.3]	10.3	16.4 [15.9–17.0]	60.2 [55.0–65.4]
Antipsychotics	1.9	3.2 [2.7–3.7]	68.9 [43.0–94.7]	3.2	5.3 [5.0–5.6]	65.1 [54.7–75.5]
Stimulants	3.2	3.9 [3.4–4.4]	19.9 [5.3–34.6]	6.3	7.9 [7.5–8.3]	24.4 [18.6–30.2]
Other specified	6.9	8.8 [8.1–9.5]	26.6 [16.8–36.3]	7.6	10.9 [10.5–11.3]	43.5 [37.8–49.2]
Unspecified	50.3	35.4 [34.3–36.5]	−29.6 [−31.7 – −27.4]	49.7	34.1 [33.4–34.7]	−31.4 [−32.7 – −30.2]
>1 Major drug class^e	18.0	28.6 [27.5–29.8]	58.6 [52.2–64.9]	26.9	42.8 [42.1–43.5]	58.9 [56.3–61.5]

^aData from the Multiple Cause of Death files
^bProportions from death certificate reports
^cAdjusted proportions are average predicted values from probit models, where at least one specific drug is assumed to be mentioned for all poisoning deaths (SPECIFY = 1). Models also control for: sex, race (black, other), Hispanic, currently married, education (high school dropout, high school graduate, some college, college graduate), age (≤20, 21–30, 31–40, 41–50, 51–60, 61–70, 71–80, >80), day of the week of death, and census region
^d% Difference between adjusted and reported proportions (calculated using more precise proportions than the rounded percentages displayed on the table)
^eTwo or more of the drug types: opioid analgesics, other narcotics, sedatives, psychotropics, or other specified drugs

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