Psych Drugs Top List of Drug-Related Suicide Attempts

The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) estimates there were 121,585 Emergency Department (ED) visits for drug-related suicide attempts in 2004. More than half (56%) of these visits involved psychotherapeutic agents. The most commonly used psychotherapeutic agents were antidepressants (22%) and benzodiazepines (26%), such as Xanax and Valium.

“This is yet another disturbing fact about the harmful effects of mind-altering drugs,” comments Lucas A. Catton, CCDC, director of the international Drug-Free Alliance. “People are told that these drugs are safe, but the evidence shows that the drugs are potentially very dangerous. Big Pharma is causing too many deaths, and consumers are paying the companies billions of dollars each year to do it. That’s just insane.”

The Drug-Free Alliance is an advocate for drug-free living through effective rehabilitation and education practices as well as sensible drug policy. The Alliance recommends that people learn to question the prescriptions they’re being given and become educated about the long-term effects of drugs.

Nearly two-thirds of ED visits for drug-related suicide attempts involved multiple drugs (64%). On average, a drug-related ED visit involved 1.6 drugs. While illicit drugs such as cocaine and marijuana were found in 11% and 8% of, respectively, pharmaceuticals were found in more than twice the number of cases.

The DAWN report includes only those suicide attempts that involve drugs, but these attempts are not limited to overdoses. Also included are persons who attempt suicide by other means when drugs are involved. The report was not able to indicate whether the patients had prescriptions for the drugs or not.

To read more specifics about the Drug Abuse Warning Network, log on to www.dawninfo.samhsa.gov.

To learn more about the harmful effects of drugs, find workable resources or get help for a loved one affected by drug use, contact the Drug-Free Alliance through www.drug-freealliance.org.

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