DRUG ABUSE AND INTOXICATION IN ALCOHOLICS

The frequency of drug, alcohol and combined alcohol/drug intoxicationin forensic autopsy material is described. Alcoholics had frequentlyabused drugs; the cause of death was drug intoxication in 12%,combined alcohol/drug intoxication in 13%, and alcohol intoxicationonly in 4%. The manner of death was different in the variousgroups as it was almost equally stated as accident, suicideand unascertainable, respectively, with only drugs involved,whereas accidents were the predominant features in the combinedalcohol/drug intoxication among alcoholics. In controls, accidentspredominated on both types of intoxication. The alcoholics seemedto be more ‘deliberately’ choosing suicide withdrugs, while both alcoholics and controls need more informationwith regard to the dangers of mixing alcohol and drugs. Thefrequency of combined alcohol and drug intoxication was muchhigher in alcoholics.