WA Parliament QoN 996 (2004-11-16) requested data on heroin-related deaths from 2001-2004. The answer provides figures for suspected and confirmed deaths, noting delays in coroner confirmations and the preliminary nature of recent data.

AnsweredQoN 996Legislative Council
Asked
16 November 2004
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

How many deaths have occurred in Western Australia as a result of heroin use in the years 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 to date? Hon KEN TRAVERS

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. On behalf of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health, I have a chart with me and it would be simplest to seek leave to have the chart incorporated in Hansard . Leave granted. The following material was incorporated - Suspected by WA Police Confirmed by Coroner 1. 2001 36 15 2. 2002 11 Confirmation not yet received 3. 2003 8 Confirmation not yet received 4. 2004* 14 (*to 30 June 2004) Confirmation net yet received Note: Interpretation of trends in heroin related deaths (HRDs) in WA needs to take into account the delay in the availability of findings by a Coroner that confirm a particular death is heroin related. Therefore, recent data are based on those cases where a Coroner’s verdict is not yet available and the case is classified as a suspected HRD according to police interpretation of the available evidence. This means the data presented consist of both confirmed and suspected HRDs. It should be noted that not all suspected HRDs will necessarily be confirmed.
Hon KEN TRAVERS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. On behalf of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health, I have a chart with me and it would be simplest to seek leave to have the chart incorporated in Hansard . Leave granted. The following material was incorporated - Suspected by WA Police Confirmed by Coroner 1. 2001 36 15 2. 2002 11 Confirmation not yet received 3. 2003 8 Confirmation not yet received 4. 2004* 14 (*to 30 June 2004) Confirmation net yet received Note: Interpretation of trends in heroin related deaths (HRDs) in WA needs to take into account the delay in the availability of findings by a Coroner that confirm a particular death is heroin related. Therefore, recent data are based on those cases where a Coroner’s verdict is not yet available and the case is classified as a suspected HRD according to police interpretation of the available evidence. This means the data presented consist of both confirmed and suspected HRDs. It should be noted that not all suspected HRDs will necessarily be confirmed.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. On behalf of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health, I have a chart with me and it would be simplest to seek leave to have the chart incorporated in Hansard . Leave granted. The following material was incorporated - Suspected by WA Police Confirmed by Coroner 1. 2001 36 15 2. 2002 11 Confirmation not yet received 3. 2003 8 Confirmation not yet received 4. 2004* 14 (*to 30 June 2004) Confirmation net yet received Note: Interpretation of trends in heroin related deaths (HRDs) in WA needs to take into account the delay in the availability of findings by a Coroner that confirm a particular death is heroin related. Therefore, recent data are based on those cases where a Coroner’s verdict is not yet available and the case is classified as a suspected HRD according to police interpretation of the available evidence. This means the data presented consist of both confirmed and suspected HRDs. It should be noted that not all suspected HRDs will necessarily be confirmed.
Leave granted. The following material was incorporated - Suspected by WA Police Confirmed by Coroner 1. 2001 36 15 2. 2002 11 Confirmation not yet received 3. 2003 8 Confirmation not yet received 4. 2004* 14 (*to 30 June 2004) Confirmation net yet received Note: Interpretation of trends in heroin related deaths (HRDs) in WA needs to take into account the delay in the availability of findings by a Coroner that confirm a particular death is heroin related. Therefore, recent data are based on those cases where a Coroner’s verdict is not yet available and the case is classified as a suspected HRD according to police interpretation of the available evidence. This means the data presented consist of both confirmed and suspected HRDs. It should be noted that not all suspected HRDs will necessarily be confirmed.
The following material was incorporated - Suspected by WA Police Confirmed by Coroner 1. 2001 36 15 2. 2002 11 Confirmation not yet received 3. 2003 8 Confirmation not yet received 4. 2004* 14 (*to 30 June 2004) Confirmation net yet received Note: Interpretation of trends in heroin related deaths (HRDs) in WA needs to take into account the delay in the availability of findings by a Coroner that confirm a particular death is heroin related. Therefore, recent data are based on those cases where a Coroner’s verdict is not yet available and the case is classified as a suspected HRD according to police interpretation of the available evidence. This means the data presented consist of both confirmed and suspected HRDs. It should be noted that not all suspected HRDs will necessarily be confirmed.
Suspected by WA Police Confirmed by Coroner 1. 2001 36 15 2. 2002 11 Confirmation not yet received 3. 2003 8 Confirmation not yet received 4. 2004* 14 (*to 30 June 2004) Confirmation net yet received Note: Interpretation of trends in heroin related deaths (HRDs) in WA needs to take into account the delay in the availability of findings by a Coroner that confirm a particular death is heroin related. Therefore, recent data are based on those cases where a Coroner’s verdict is not yet available and the case is classified as a suspected HRD according to police interpretation of the available evidence. This means the data presented consist of both confirmed and suspected HRDs. It should be noted that not all suspected HRDs will necessarily be confirmed.

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