"Data from the death registry reveal a constant increase in the number of drug-induced deaths from 2003 to 2008, and even until 2009 if we limit the age range to 15-49-year-olds, amongst whom the large majority of cases were due to overdose.
"DRAMES [Drug and Substance Abuse Related Deaths (ANSM)] provides information on the substances that are the main cause of deaths by overdose. In 2009, illegal drugs were the main cause, as the main product, of death in slightly more than half of the cases (53%), followed by substitution treatments in approximately 34% of cases and opioid medications (excluding substitution treatments) in almost 13% of cases. Overall, opioids were chiefly involved in 87% of cases and cocaine (alone or combined with other substances) in approximately 12%. The rise in the number of overdoses between 2006 and 2009 is explained by an increase in the number of deaths from heroin overdose (+ 44 cases) and methadone overdose (+ 27 cases)."
l'Observatoire francais des drogues et des toxicomanies (OFDT), "2012 National Report (2011 data) to the EMCDDA by the Reitox National Focal Point: France: New Development, Trends and in-depth information on selected issues (Saint-Denis, France: OFDT, 2012), p. 100.
http://www.ofdt.fr/BDD/public…
