(CNN) People using illicit opioids are not only at an increased risk of a drug-related death, but a new study finds they have an elevated risk of dying from noncommunicable diseases, infectious diseases, suicide and unintentional injuries. Among people who used opioids outside of a prescription, suicide deaths occurred at almost eight times the expected rate and unintentional injuries at seven times the expected rate, according to the study, published Thursday in the medical journal JAMA Psychiatry . Death from interpersonal violence was relatively infrequent but occurred at more than nine times the expected rate, according to the study. The study involved reviewing and analyzing data on people across 28 countries who used heroin, other illicitly manufactured opioids and pharmaceutical opioids outside the bounds of a medical prescription. The data came from 124 previously published studies, some dating as far back as January 2009.

Source: CNN December 26, 2019 15:56 UTC