Deaths linked to common anxiety drug soar
The National Drug-Related Deaths Index, co-ordinated by the Health Research Board (HRB), also shows drug-related deaths in which benzodiazepines were implicated increased from a total of 65 in 1998 to 88 in 2007.
North Dublin had the highest rate of death at four cases per 100,000 population, followed by the southern area at 3.1 cases.