The National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) records cases of death by drug and/or alcohol poisoning (such as those due to accidental or intentional overdose), and deaths among people who use drugs and those who are alcohol dependent (such as those due to hepatitis C and HIV).

The information is used to develop health and social service responses aimed at reducing the number of deaths. 

NDRDI data collection

Staff from the NDRDI collect data from Coroner Service files relating to all deaths among alcohol dependent persons, all deaths where a history of drug use was recorded or where drug or alcohol misuse was implicated in the death. Data is also collected from The General Mortality Register (through the Central Statistics Office), The Central Treatment List and the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE) scheme.  

The information collected includes:

• administrative details;
• demographic details;
• socio-economic information;
• problem drug use at the time of death;
• risk behaviours;
• drug treatment history;
• details about the death itself; and
• medical diagnosis;

This information is used to define accurately the extent of the problem, to inform policy and to assess the effectiveness of responses aimed at preventing deaths from drug or alcohol misuse.

NDRDI Steering Committee

The NDRDI Steering Committee provides advice to the researchers on the development of the data collection protocol, the methodology for interpreting inconclusive cases, and pathology and toxicology. Participating organisations include:

Drugs Policy and Social Inclusion, Department of Health (co-chair)

Department of Justice (co-chair)

The Coroner's Service

The Office of the State Pathologist

The State Laboratory

Representative of families

Central Statistics Office, Cork

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)