About drug and alcohol deaths

The National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI)

The NDRDI is the national monitoring system on drug-related deaths, deaths among people who use drugs, and deaths among people who are alcohol dependent. Since 2005, the HRB has maintained the NDRDI on behalf the Department of Health and the Department of Justice.

The NDRDI provides a complete census of drug and alcohol-related deaths, and all deaths among people who use drugs or were alcohol dependent, using five data sources: Coronial data, HIPE, Central Treatment List, the GMR via the CSO, and the HSE PCRS.

The data collected enables Ireland to fulfil its reporting obligations to the European Union and United Nations, as well as being used widely to provide evidence for national policy, research, and action.

Data collected includes:

• demographic details;
• socio-economic information;
• history of problem drug use at the time of death;
• risk behaviours e.g. injecting drug use;
• drug treatment history;
• details about the death itself.

Contact –  ndrdi@hrb.ie

NDRDI Steering Committee 

The NDRDI Steering Committee supports the development of the NDRDI as a complete and accurate census of drug-related deaths nationally. The Committee advises on the data collection protocol and NDRDI publications, as well as on the methodology for interpreting inconclusive cases.

The Committee also provides expertise in key areas such as pathology, toxicology, and public health.

The Committee members include representatives from:

• The Drugs Policy and Social Inclusion Unit, Department of Health (co-chair);
• Department of Justice (co-chair); The Coroner Service;
• The Office of the State Pathologist;
• The State Laboratory;
• Family representatives;
• Central Statistics Office;
• National Social Inclusion Office, Health Service Executive;
• Faculty of Addiction Psychiatry, College of Psychiatrists;
• An Garda Síochána;
• School of Pharmacy, Trinity College Dublin;
• Health Research Board (Secretariat)