Journal ArticleDOI
Rates, characteristics and circumstances of methamphetamine-related death in Australia: a national 7-year study.
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TLDR
While toxicity was the most frequent cause, natural disease, suicide and accident comprised more than half of deaths, and methamphetamine death rates doubled in Australia from 2009 to 2015.Abstract:
Aims
To (1) assess trends in the number and mortality rates of methamphetamine-related death in Australia, 2009–15; (2) assess the characteristics and the cause, manner and circumstances of death; and (3) assess the blood methamphetamine concentrations and the presence of other drugs in methamphetamine-related death.
Design
Analysis of cases of methamphetamine-related death retrieved from the National Coronial Information System (NCIS).
Setting
Australia.
Cases
All cases in which methamphetamine was coded in the NCIS database as a mechanism contributing to death (n = 1649).
Measurements
Information was collected on cause and manner of death, demographics, location, circumstances of death and toxicology.
Findings
The mean age of cases was 36.9 years, and 78.4% were male. The crude mortality rate was 1.03 per 100 000. The rate increased significantly over time (P < 0.001), and at 2015 the mortality rate was 1.8 [confidence interval (CI) = 1.2–2.4] times that of 2009. Deaths were due to accidental drug toxicity (43.2%), natural disease (22.3%), suicide (18.2%), other accident (14.9%) and homicide (1.5%). In 40.8% of cases, death occurred outside the major capital cities. The median blood methamphetamine concentration was 0.17 mg/l, and cases in which only methamphetamine was detected had higher concentrations than other cases (0.30 versus 0.15 mg/l, P < 0.001). The median blood methamphetamine concentration varied within a narrow range (0.15–0.20 mg/l) across manner of death. In the majority (82.8%) of cases, substances other than methamphetamine were detected, most frequently opioids (43.1%) and hypnosedatives (38.0%).
Conclusions
Methamphetamine death rates doubled in Australia from 2009 to 2015. While toxicity was the most frequent cause, natural disease, suicide and accident comprised more than half of deaths.read more
Citations
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What is the real distribution of methamphetamine-related causes of death?
Chian Jue Kuo,Chiao-Chicy Chen +1 more
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Lack of longitudinal changes in cognition in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder during the first 6 weeks after commencing treatment.
Rebecca E. Fitzpatrick,Alex H. Robinson,Adam J. Rubenis,Dan I. Lubman,Antonio Verdejo-García +4 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined longitudinal changes in cognition and found that methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) was associated with cognitive impulsivity deficits, and it remains unclear if defici...
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Did the under‐reporting of meth/amphetamine use increase in a general population survey in Australia as negative media coverage increased?
TL;DR: For example, the authors found that the lifetime prevalence of meth/amphetamine decreased from 6.1% (95% CI = 5.3-6.9) to 1.7% between 2001 and 2019, while negative attitudes towards methylamphetamine and d-amphetamine increased.
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Methamphetamine-related postmortem cases in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
TL;DR: In this article, a validated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was employed to quantify methamphetamine and its metabolites in bodily fluids from 47 postmortem cases in which methamphetamine was involved.
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Sex-Specific Alterations in Dopamine Metabolism in the Brain after Methamphetamine Self-Administration
TL;DR: Together, these data document sex differences in METH SA-induced changes in DA metabolism and provide further support for using sex as an essential variable when discussing therapeutic approaches against METH use disorder in humans.
References
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Global Burden of Disease Attributable to Illicit Drug Use and Dependence: Findings From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010
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TL;DR: The current public image of methamphetamine does not portray adequately the extensive, and in many cases insidious, harms caused.