Drinking and suicide: How alcohol use increases risks, and what can be done about it

alcohol poisoning suicide

Differences between the reporting systems lead to the discrepancies in the numbers of suicides, depending on the source of information. The total of 161,655 cases of bac depends on what suicide attempts in Poland in 1999–2020 resulted in 106,169 deaths (65.7%). Drug poisoning can also be of a mixed nature, especially if multi-drug poisoning or alcohol and drug poisoning occurs [12].

The aim of this publication was to juxtapose the data from two sources to compare the discrepancies between them. To date, there have been few articles addressing suicide poisoning, and not a single paper has been written that analyzes suicide poisoning statistics over the past 21 years with two data sources. Additionally, in the case of suicide poisoning, knowing what substances are used in suicide attempts may be helpful in limiting access to these substances.

If you need suicide- or mental health-related crisis support, or are worried about someone else, please call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat with Lifeline to connect with a trained crisis counselor. This cross-sectional study used publicly available data; therefore, institutional review board approval and informed consent were not needed, per National Cancer Institute policy. Age, sex, race/ethnicity, county-level percentage of unemployment, rurality, and geography. But the amount of alcohol in one drink may be much higher than those in the list above. For example, some craft beers may have four times the amount of alcohol that’s in a regular beer. Be aware of the alcohol content of what you’re drinking and adjust how much you drink based on this knowledge.

Methods

The use of illicit and non-illicit substances is widespread in suicides. The toxicological data may help in understanding the mechanism of death. This systematic review aimed to analyze autopsies related to suicides by consuming poison, focusing on the correlation between substance use and the country of origin to create an alarm bell to indicate that suicide maybe attempted and prevent it. The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines, with the primary objective of identifying autopsies conducted in cases of suicide by consuming poison in specific geographic areas.

If you struggle with other mental health disorders, alcoholism can worsen depression and suicide ideation. The more we talk about it, the more we can create space for support, healing, and recovery. Suicide is the act of deliberate taking one’s own life, whereas a suicide attempt is any non-fatal suicide behavior that might have been displayed with or without an intent to take one’s own life [5]. This cross-sectional study found that demographic and geographic patterns varied by cause of death, suggesting that these causes of death were not concentrated in 1 group or region and tailored interventions to each cause are urgently needed.

When someone’s at risk for suicide, they may feel like they don’t belong. They may think they’re a burden to others and begin to develop a higher pain tolerance and fear of suicide. Conceptualization—A.S.; validation—A.S.; formal analysis—A.S.; resources—A.S., writing—original draft preparation—A.S., A.K. Unlike food, which can take stopping cymbalta cold turkey hours to digest, the body absorbs alcohol quickly — long before most other nutrients. Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health.

Materials and Methods

  1. Self-poisoning is one of the most common methods used to attempt suicide in Poland [24].
  2. All these elements indicate that suicide prevention in all countries should be rethought and reorganized.
  3. The toxicological data may help in understanding the mechanism of death.
  4. This cross-sectional study used publicly available data; therefore, institutional review board approval and informed consent were not needed, per National Cancer Institute policy.
  5. Research on suicide methods is still inadequate, especially in some geographic areas.

According to the literature and the results of the present study, pesticides are the most used toxic products in suicides by consuming poison in developing countries with agricultural bases. In this regard, one of the selected studies reported that in Iran, one reason for this high drug use is the free availability of drugs without prescription from legitimate pharmacy channels and through non-medical sources [26]. To shed light on the cause and manner of the death, toxicological analysis is crucial in the forensic context, combined with a historical anamnesis, scene evidence, psychological autopsy, and autopsy.

2. Data Sources and Search Strategy

alcohol poisoning suicide

Alcohol poisoning also can occur when adults or children accidentally or intentionally drink household products that contain alcohol. BAC can continue to rise even when a person stops drinking or is unconscious. Alcohol in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body. Celebrating at parties, cheering a favorite sports team, and enjoying get-togethers after work are common ways to relax or be with friends. For some people, these occasions may also include drinking—even binge or high-intensity drinking. The gender and age distribution of subjects is also heterogeneous, although not all studies have highlighted these aspects [41].

Poisoning is a relevant public health issue responsible for a considerable number of cases of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries [1]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2000, unintentional poisoning led to around 350,000 deaths [2]. Meanwhile, around 250,000 deaths resulted from intentional ingestion [3]. One report found that in 2012,about 1,930,000 people died worldwide from unintentional poisoning, of which 84% died in low- and middle-income countries [4]. A2019 WHO report indicates a worldwide decrease in the global age-standardized suicide rate [5,6]. We conducted the most comprehensive meta-analysis on the link between alcohol (ab)use and death by suicide to date.

Trends in Mortality From Drug Poisonings, Suicide, and Alcohol-Induced Deaths in the United States From 2000 to 2017

Of these, 325 (65%) were cases of suicides, 99 (19.8%) were cases of accidental death, and 76 (15.2%) were undetermined. Xiao et al. [22] studied 782 poison-related autopsy cases, 38.4% of which involved suicides by subjects with a mean age of 37 years, with a slight predominance of males over females. Toxicological investigations were conducted on blood, urine, and gastric content samples. They revealed the use of pesticides in 40% of the cases, toxic gases in 32% of the cases, drugs of abuse in 8.6% of the cases, and drugs and botanical derivatives in the rest. In a retrospective study of Wang et al. [24] conducted on 1968 autopsies, 140 cases of death by poisoning (7.11%) were identified, 27.8% of which were suicides.

Toxicological examinations of organs, blood, urine, and gastric contents reported medical drugs in 15.71% of the cases (22 cases, 11 hypnotics, antipsychotics, and 6 antiarrhythmic drugs). The researchers found that during the study period, the proportion of suicides involving a BAC greater than or equal to 0.08 g/dL significantly increased each year for women of all age groups. In contrast, only middle-aged men had a significant yearly increase in alcohol-involved suicides. The new research examined the increase in suicide mortality among women in the context of data showing an sober house boston increase in heavy alcohol use over time.

Symptoms of alcohol overdose include mental confusion, difficulty remaining conscious, vomiting, seizures, trouble breathing, slow heart rate, clammy skin, dulled responses (such as no gag reflex, which prevents choking), and extremely low body temperature. Official statistics on suicides in 2016observed a decrease in the prevalence of self-poisoning for both males and females and a higher proportion of females using this suicide method (36.2% of females versus 18.3% of males). The researchers say these findings suggest that alcohol use may have been a core driver in the accelerated increase in suicide among U.S. women. Although more research is needed to elucidate the link between alcohol use and suicide, the findings point to a need for more education and awareness of this relationship, as well as improved screening and intervention strategies. In our research, it was found that a higher frequency and quantity of alcohol consumed plays a major role in death by suicide. The more heavily and habitually one drinks, the more vulnerable they are to these risks.

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