Statistics

The State of the World's Children: Children in an Urban World. UNICEF

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As urbanisation grows worldwide this UNICEF report focuses on consequences for children.

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A report card on adolescents: UNICEF

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The 10th edition of UNICEF’s Progress for Children does show significant progress in many areas, such as reducing child mortality, increasing the number of children enrolled in primary school and expanding access to health care services. However, this comprehensive Report also highlights huge areas of disadvantage and work to be done.

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Prescription drug abuse blamed for big rise in child poisoning deaths

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Although child deaths from 'unintentional injuries' in the USA are falling, the number of 15-19 year teens dying from poisoning almost doubled between the years 2000 and 2009. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention blames the rise in prescription drugs abuse. 'Unintentional injuries' is now the leading cause of death for children from ages 1 to 19.

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Is South America replicating some of North America's drug trends?

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The Organisation of American States has published a comprehensive overview of drug use in the hemisphere with particular emphasis on young people. Trends include:

  • Marijuana remains the most used illicit drug throughout the region
  • Binge drinking is now also common in South America
  • Problematic drinking is often found in areas with lower general rates of alcohol consumption
  • Inhalant use tends to drop off around age 14 in North America but often continues to rise in some parts of South America
  • Cocaine use is declining in North America but rates are catching up in South America

The authors also comment on evidence that prevention messages often fail to reach young people, particularly where drugs are perceived as easy to obtain and not high risk.

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Scary global statistics on tobacco-related deaths

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Not only is tobacco responsible for 14% of the world's death's from non-communicable illnesses in over 30 year-olds, such as cancer, new UN data show tobacco is also to blame for 5% of all communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis. In another story, two health groups have calculated that tobacco has killed 50 million people worldwide during the last decade.

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US drug data now downloadable

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Data from the major US Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) are now available for download. This survey monitors hospital drug-related emergency department visits and drug-related deaths reported by selected medical examiner and coroner offices across the USA. Both licit and illicit drugs are included, plus alcohol involvement for patients under 21 and alcohol involvement in combination with other substances for those over 21.

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More Irish youths take drugs than smoke

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This third UNICEF report focuses on drugs and alcohol. Among a variety of well presented and accessible data is the fact that drinking is a “taken-for-granted” activity amongst Ireland’s younger population. Also 28% took drugs compared with only 23% who smoked.

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EMCDDA Annual Report is 'one of contrasts’ in Europe

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EMCDDA launched its Annual Report 2011 in Libson last month. The report shows drug use to be relatively stable in Europe, with some positive signs that cocaine use may have peaked and that cannabis use continues to decline among young people, but signs of stability with some of the more established drugs are offset by new threats. Explored in the report are developments in the synthetic drugs market, the rapid appearance of new substances and widespread polydrug use.

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Substance use among 12-18 year olds in Canada

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The CCSA has released the latest data for substance use among 12 to 18 year olds across Canada. Among other findings is that alcohol use in the past year is about twice as prevalent as cannabis use and around half of all 12th graders report consuming five or more drinks on one occasion in the past month.

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Massive rise in US prescription drug fatalities

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The latest figures for prescription painkiller overdoses in the USA show that more people died in 2008 from misuse of painkillers than from heroin and cocaine combined, a threefold increase from 1999. Grant Baldwin from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has described the problem as an 'epidemic'. The rise in deaths is matched by an even greater increase in sales of painkillers. The CDC calculate that in 2010 enough painkillers were prescribed to medicate every American adult around-the-clock for a month. CDC has highlighted the benefits of drug monitoring data bases, adherence to safe prescribing guidelines, patient screening and the role of individuals, particularly parents of teenagers, in using and storing prescription drugs safely. One of this month's Update 'News' stories shows very different pictures of prescription drug abuse in UK and USA.

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