Exclusion of Anabolic Steroids and Solvents

The illicit use of anabolic steroids have also been excluded from further analysis because of difficulties in measuring (a) the prevalence of their harmful use¹; and (b) mortality attributable to their use¹; mean that is not possible to calculate relative risks. Similarly, the failure to include solvents stems largely from a lack of good evidence on the prevalence and extent or harms attributable to such use.

The failure to include these drugs in our estimates of burden of disease attributable to illicit drugs reflects our ignorance; it does not imply that the use of these drugs is without risk to users.

References

1. Larance, B., Degenhardt, L., Dillon, P., & Copeland, J. (2005). Rapid assessment of performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs) in New South Wales: Feasibility study 2005. National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales.