Deaths related to use/abuse/misuse of canabis?

I am the agent for the fictional strawman that was created with the name Sarah Goldsmith made this Freedom of Information request to Office for National Statistics This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

The request was successful.

I am the agent for the fictional strawman that was created with the name Sarah Goldsmith

Dear Office for National Statistics,

Please would you be kind enough, under the FOI to give me the
figures you hold of the number of human beings who have died
DIRECTLY because of their use, misuse or abuse of cannabis in the UK since records began?

Although I have been informed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence that you are the correct department to direct this question to, if that is incorrect and you do not have access to these figures, please tell me who does and I shall contact them directly.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely, and without ill will, vexation or frivolity,

Sarah: Goldsmith

Rosemary Taylor, Office for National Statistics

FOI Team.

Please can you advise and respond to this enquiry.

Many thanks.

Rosemary Taylor
Customer Advisor| Cynghorydd Cwsmeriaid
Customer Intelligence | Cudd-wybodaeth Cwsmeriaid
Room 1.015 | Ystafell 1.015
Office for National Statistics | Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol
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NP10 8XG
Telephone 0845 6013034 | Ffôn: 0845 6013034

Communication Matters | Materion Cyfathrebu
Communication Division | Is-adran Gyfathrebu
Dear Office for National Statistics,

Please would you be kind enough, under the FOI to give me the
figures you hold of the number of human beings who have died
DIRECTLY because of their use, misuse or abuse of cannabis in the
UK since records began?

Although I have been informed by the National Institute for Health
and Clinical Excellence that you are the correct department to
direct this question to, if that is incorrect and you do not have
access to these figures, please tell me who does and I shall
contact them directly.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely, and without ill will, vexation or frivolity,

Sarah: Goldsmith

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Paul Wearn, Office for National Statistics

1 Attachment

Our Reference: FOI00921/Goldsmith/QE1

Dear Ms Goldsmith,

Thank you for your recent question asking 'under the FOI to give the
figures you hold of the number of human beings who have died DIRECTLY
because of their use, misuse or abuse of cannabis in the UK since records
began'.

The Office for National Statistics only holds information for deaths
registered in England and Wales.
For Scottish data please contact the General Register Office for Scotland:
http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/
For data from Northern Ireland please contact the Northern Ireland
Statistics and Research Agency: http://www.nisra.gov.uk/

Since 1993 a database of deaths related to drug poisoning has been
maintained within ONS to facilitate research into these deaths and to aid
the identification of specific substances involved. Deaths are included if
the underlying cause of death is regarded as related to drug poisoning,
according to the current National Statistics definition. For each death,
the database includes every mention of a substance recorded on the death
certificate or mentioned by the coroner. In around 10 per cent of deaths on
the database only a general description, such as 'drug overdose', is
recorded on the coroners certificate of cause of death. These deaths
therefore do not contribute to the count of deaths from specific
substances.

When a drug is mentioned on the death certificate it is impossible to tell
whether that particular substance was primarily responsible for the death.
Therefore ONS cannot provide you with the number of people who have died
directly because of their use, misuse or abuse of cannabis.

The table attached provides the number of deaths where the underlying cause
was drug poisoning, and cannabis alone was mentioned on the death
certificate, in England and Wales, for the years 1993 to 2008:

(See attached file: FOI_ Cannabis_Table.xls)

You have the right to have this response to your freedom of information
request reviewed internally by an internal review process and, if you
remain unhappy with the decision, by the Information Commissioner. If you
would like to have the decision reviewed please write to Frank Nolan,
Office for National Statistics, Room 1127, Government Buildings, Cardiff
Road, Newport, Gwent, NP10 8XG.

If you have any queries about this email, please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Regards,

Paul Wearn LLB (Hons)
Legal Services
Office for National Statistics
For the latest data on the economy and society consult National Statistics at http://www.ons.gov.uk

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