You asked
What are the total number of UK deaths caused by nitrous oxide use between Jan 2017 and the present date?
We said
Thank you for your enquiry.
We are responsible for the provision of mortality statistics in England and Wales. National Records for Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency are responsible for publishing statistics on deaths registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland. They can be contacted at foi@nrscotland.gov.uk and info@nisra.gov.uk respectively.
Our death statistics are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration in England and Wales.
Our most recent statistics on deaths involving nitrous oxide are available in the Deaths related to volatile substances and helium in Great Britain article, which it is not currently produced on a routine basis. The latest available figures are for deaths registered in 2016.
Unfortunately, we do not currently hold any analysis for deaths involving nitrous oxide after 2016. However, bespoke analyses of deaths involving volatile substances data (and other causes of mortality) for England and Wales after 2016 may be commissioned independently. Such services would fall outside of the Freedom of Information regime and would be subject to legal frameworks, disclosure control, resources and agreement of costs. If this is something you would be interested in, please contact the Lifestyle and Risk Factors Analysis Branch via Health.Data@ons.gov.uk. For more information about our charging rates, please see our website.