Smith T
Tayside Health Board, Dundee.
Scott Med J. 1994 Oct;39(5):144-5. doi: 10.1177/003693309403900507.
Between 1972 and 1992 the death rate in Scotland in young adults aged 15 to 34 from heart disease fell by nearly a half (49%), from cancer by a third (32%) and from respiratory diseases by 45%, with substantial falls in deaths from most other "natural causes". All of this impressive improvement was wiped out, however, by a massive increase in deaths from drug abuse, suicides and undetermined causes as well as the emergence of AIDS. In view of the fact that many deaths due to drug misuse may be attributed instead to the immediate cause, there is an urgent need for a national agency to be set up to investigate all deaths in young adults in order to determine the number in which alcohol or drugs are the underlying cause. This agency would also monitor progress towards attaining Health of the Nation targets relating to suicide.
1972年至1992年间，苏格兰15至34岁的年轻人中，心脏病死亡率下降了近一半（49%），癌症死亡率下降了三分之一（32%），呼吸系统疾病死亡率下降了45%，大多数其他“自然原因”导致的死亡人数也大幅下降。然而，药物滥用、自杀和不明原因导致的死亡人数大幅增加，以及艾滋病的出现，抵消了所有这些令人瞩目的改善。鉴于许多因药物滥用导致的死亡可能应归咎于直接原因，迫切需要成立一个国家机构来调查所有年轻人的死亡情况，以确定酒精或药物是根本原因的死亡人数。该机构还将监测在实现与自杀相关的《国家健康目标》方面取得的进展。
