A record 56 drug-related deaths were reported in Iceland last year. An expert believes that the true scale of the crisis is greater, as many drug-related fatalities go unrecorded.
Record number of deaths
As reported by RÚV yesterday, 56 individuals died from overdoses involving drugs and controlled substances last year, the highest number since the Directorate of Health began keeping records in 2008.
This marks an almost 40% increase from the previous year, when 35 people died from overdoses. In 2021, 47 individuals died of the same cause, which had been the highest number recorded until then.
The Directorate of Health has, however, stressed the need for caution when interpreting yearly figures, noting that minor variations in the data can result in significant fluctuations.
Actual figure “much higher”
In an interview with RÚV yesterday, Kristín Davíðsdóttir, Project Manager of Harm Reduction at the National University Hospital, warned of focusing on the numbers in the abstract.
“It’s so easy to lose sight of the human beings behind these statistics. But these are, of course, 56 individuals, 56 families. We’re talking about people losing their children, losing their parents, losing their siblings,” Kristín observed.
Read More: In Harm’s Way (the Opioid Crisis in Iceland)
Kristín believes that the data belies the scale of the problem.
“I think we can all agree that the actual figure is much, much higher,” Kristín remarked. “For example, accidents involving people under the influence aren’t classified as drug-related. Similarly, suicides, while not officially linked to drug use, are often indirect consequences – and there are many other contributing factors as well.”
Furthermore, the non-fatal effects of overdoses should not be underestimated: “Even when lives aren’t lost outright, many individuals suffer irreversible harm, permanent disabilities, and other lasting consequences. The number of young people affected is staggering, and it’s shocking that more isn’t being done to support this group of people.”
Youth drug-use on the rise
As noted by RÚV, 1 individual under the age of 18 died last year due to drug use; 15 between the ages of 18 and 29; 23 between the ages of 30 and 44; 13 between the ages of 45 and 59; and 4 between the ages of 60 and 74.
“There are more and more people using everything, if I can put it that way. There’s an increase in the use of hard drugs like cocaine and OxyContin, the latter of which has risen significantly,” Kristín noted, adding that there were indications that drug use was becoming more severe among younger age groups.
“There are kids well below the legal age who are already injecting drugs.”
Last year, 35 men and 21 women died from drug overdoses. Kristín pointed out that these individuals and their families often share a common struggle – battling the system.
“There’s so much wrong with the system. The biggest hurdle is that the systems don’t communicate. We have the social welfare system and the healthcare system – systems that don’t coordinate. Addiction or mental health issues may be addressed, but the social system isn’t in sync. You finish treatment, and then what? Do you go back to the streets, or is there housing waiting for you? Usually, there isn’t.”
