At least 450 body parts from donors who have drug abuse history have been used by transplant surgeons who have been forced by such circumstances between 2002 and 2007, BBC News reported. The quality of these organs and risks to infections may have been affected, it added.
A total of 146 of the donors had a history of drug abuse.
U.K. Transplant, which is charged with transplants, reported 10 hearts transplanted during the same period came from those with a history of heart disease; others, heart attack.
In one instance, a liver-donor had died of a paracetamol overdose. Fourteen of the transplants came from donors of the same number whose cause of death was drug overdose.
BBC News reported the lack of viable organ donations is due to lesser number of healthy people killed in car mishaps whose organs are often intact and may be used for transplants.
In the United Kingdom, at least 8,000 are in need of an organ donation, as opposed to 3,000 transplants carried out.
Last September, U.K., in a bid to lower the gap between supply and demand for donated organs, had considered organ donation by "presumed consent" or default - for the assumption to be people are donors unless they specify to opt out, NewScientist.com news service reported.
So far, organ donation from a dead person can only be done only if he or she has listed himself in life as an organ donor.
In 2006, a study of 22 countries showed countries such as Spain, Austria, and Belgium, where organ donation is by presumed consent, has 25 to 30 percent higher organ donation, NewScientist.com added.
