Jump in legal-drug overdoses
By Carol Nader
April 23, 2004
The number of people being treated by ambulance for overdosing on legal drugs has jumped by almost 30 per cent, figures show.
Ambulances were called for more than 11,000 incidents of non-fatal overdoses of prescription or over-the-counter drugs in Melbourne in the two years to September 2003, up almost 2500 on the previous two years.
The numbers are much greater than overdoses of illicit drugs - 1530, excluding heroin - which ambulances attended. Ambulances went to about 1400 heroin overdoses, and 6035 incidents of alcohol-related harm.
Women accounted for almost 60 per cent of legal drug overdoses, but in every other group men were more likely to overdose. In the case of heroin, three-quarters of those who had non-fatal overdoses were men.
The average age of those who overdose on legal drugs is 33. For illicit drugs it is about 27, and for alcohol-related harm about 38.
The figures, by the Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, will be presented at an international drugs conference this week.
Turning Point senior research fellow Paul Dietze said the most common medication people overdosed on were tranquillisers, paracetamol, anti-depressants, codeine, morphine and anti-psychotic drugs.
"We suspect that many of these are attempted suicide, and we know attempted suicide is more prevalent among females than males, whereas complete suicide is much more prevalent among males," he said. "Younger people are taking over-the-counter drugs whereas slightly older people are taking prescription drugs in overdoses."
Dr Dietze said more research was needed to understand the circumstances surrounding the overdoses.
"It seems to be that it's older women who are attempting suicide, which is often a call for help, and maybe that's what happens in their 30s," he said. "Maybe they're functioning at that point and then their needs reach a crisis point."
Metropolitan Ambulance Service manager of clinical standards Bill Barger said some overdoses were inadvertent.
"People misread labels or take a medication that's not prescribed for them," he said. "There's oversight, where people forget they've taken their tablets and take some more, especially with elderly folk. Children get access to them, because many pills look like lollies. Then there's those people who abuse the tablets against the prescription knowingly."
Mr Barger said more recent attendances for heroin overdoses were "staying at a reasonably low level since Christmas".
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre spokesman Paul Dillon said society seemed to believe that anything prescribed by a doctor would not cause any problems.
"The study shows quite clearly that prescribed drugs are just as risky as other drugs," he said. "Unfortunately there can be people using prescribed drugs for a long, long time and one day something happens."
Those needing assistance can reach Suicide Helpline Victoria on 1300 651 251, Lifeline on 131 114 (both 24-hour lines) or Kids Help Line on 1800 551 800.
From:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/22/1082616264154.html
