Worrying rise in deaths linked to drug use among women

Health officials say this worrying trend is part of a broader development where deaths linked to drug use — such as cardiac or liver damage and suicides — rather than direct overdoses has increased far more among female users than male users.

There has been a four-fold rise in drug-related hangings by women over the last 10 years, Irish research shows.

Health officials say this worrying trend is part of a broader development where deaths linked to drug use — such as cardiac or liver damage and suicides — rather than direct overdoses has increased far more among female users than male users.