WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- There were 239 drug abuse-related deaths in Miami and surrounding Miami-Dade County in 2001, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced today. The data is from a new report, Mortality Data From the Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2001 (DAWN), which tracks deaths associated with drug abuse in a number of cities.

The data show that cocaine was mentioned in 178 of the fatalities in Miami, and alcohol in combination with at least one other drug in 96. There were 110 mentions of narcotic pain medications and 112 mentions of benzodiazepine anti- anxiety medications associated with the deaths. Since many fatalities are due to multi-drug use, there can often be more drug mentions than deaths.

"One life lost to drugs is one too many. Effective prevention and treatment programs are key to helping reduce the needless loss of life that results from abuse of drugs," said SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie. "We are working with states and local drug treatment providers to build treatment capacity and to implement the most effective treatment services available."

The 239 Miami area drug deaths seen in 2001 cap a five year rising trend, starting with 177 drug related deaths recorded in 1997. DAWN data cover an estimated 100 percent of the area's population, according to SAMHSA.

The DAWN mortality data involve deaths that are drug-induced -- one or more of the drugs directly caused the death -- or drug-related -- drug abuse was a contributing factor in the death. DAWN counts decedents who used the substance due to dependence, to achieve psychic effects or to commit suicide. It does not count drug abuse unrelated to the death, such as a past history of drug abuse but none used at the time of death in Miami. DAWN also does not track accidental ingestion or inhalation, or adverse reactions to medications.

Participation in DAWN is voluntary and jurisdictions that do not provide sufficient data are not listed. DAWN counts of drug abuse deaths therefore do not represent national data. The full tables are available online at http://www.samhsa.gov . Click on statistics and data.

SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States.