| > In fact, paracetamol poisoning is the primary cause of death in overdoses (in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand)[2]. No, it isn't, and for the people who die from paracetamol it's an intentional overdose, it's very rarely an accidental overdose. In the US about 500 people die each year from acetaminophen overdose per year, compared to over 70,000 from opioids. Your link number 3 is talking about compounds containing paracetamol. For example, this includes coproxamol. Anyone overdosing on coproxamol was dying from the opioid (dextropropoxyphene), not from the paracetamol. In the UK we have the ONS deaths related to drugs poisoning. Figure six shows deaths compared by drug type, and paracetamol clear isn't the highest: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsde... We also have the NCISH data. Item 120 here: https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=38469 3095 deaths by self-poisoning. Substance Number
Opiates/opioids 947 33%
- opiates only 746 26%
- paracetamol/opiate compound 201 7%
Non-opiate analgesics 205 7%
Antipsychotics 302 11%
Antidepressants 587 21%
- tricyclics 271 9%
- SSRI/SNRIs 260 9%
- other antidepressants 56 2%
Paracetamol is dangerous in overdose, but that says nothing about its safety in normal usage. |