Mortalities of methamphetamine, opioid, and ketamine abusers in Shanghai and Wuhan, China

Abstract

Studies on the mortalities of drug abusers in China are scarce. This study explores the deaths of methamphetamine, opioid, and ketamine abusers in Shanghai (2004–2017) and Wuhan (2005–2017). Chi-square/Fisher’s exact tests were used to compare the differences in terms of region, gender, age, cause of death, and the method used in the last drug abuse. Poisson regression models were used to estimate the rate ratios (“RRs”) and annual percentage changes (“APCs”). 314 heroin, 43 methamphetamine, and 4 ketamine abusers were included. Furthermore, simultaneously, 6 abusers used heroin and methamphetamine, and 7 abusers used methamphetamine and ketamine. Heroin-related deaths have declined in Shanghai (APC, −16.1; 95 % CI, −18.4 to −11.3) and Wuhan (APC, −16.0; 95 % CI, −18.9 to −10.6), whereas methamphetamine-related deaths have increased in Wuhan (APC, 12.8; 95 % CI, 0.0 to 29.2). On the whole, in the two cities, males were more frequently observed than females in heroin-related deaths (4.4, 230/52). However, the gender ratios for methamphetamine- (1.8, 34/19) and ketamine-related deaths (1.2, 6/5) were close to one. In view of the mortality rates of the drug abusers in most Chinese cities were still unclear, it is thus important to improve mortality surveillance of the drug abusers at the national level.