Table 3.
Number and percentage of suicides of adults aged 60+ years tested for alcohol and drugs whose results were positive—National Violent Death Reporting System, 16 states, ∞ 2007–2009.
| Male | Female | Total | p-value | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tested | Positive | Tested | Positive | Tested | Positive | ||||||||
| Toxicology variable | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)† | 3,012 | 60.2 | 602 | 20.0 | 743 | 66.2 | 139 | 18.7 | 3,755 | 61.3 | 741 | 19.7 | 0.755 |
| Alcohol ≤ 0.08 g/dL† | 213 | 35.4 | 62 | 44.6 | 275 | 37.1 | - | ||||||
| Alcohol > 0.08 g/dL† | 353 | 58.6 | 69 | 49.6 | 422 | 57.0 | - | ||||||
| Alcohol Positive–Level Unknown | 36 | 6.0 | 8 | 5.8 | 44 | 5.9 | - | ||||||
| Amphetamines | 1,659 | 33.2 | 21 | 1.3 | 503 | 44.8 | 3 | 0.6 | 2,162 | 35.3 | 24 | 1.1 | 0.401 |
| Antidepressants | 1,532 | 30.6 | 284 | 18.5 | 486 | 43.3 | 219 | 45.1 | 2,018 | 32.9 | 503 | 24.9 | < 0.001 |
| Cocaine | 1,675 | 33.5 | 19 | 1.1 | 538 | 47.9 | 2 | 0.4 | 2,213 | 36.1 | 21 | 0.9 | 0.351 |
| Marijuana | 1,336 | 26.7 | 13 | 1.0 | 382 | 34.0 | 1 | 0.3 | 1,718 | 28.0 | 14 | 0.8 | 0.502 |
| Opiates | 1,691 | 33.8 | 296 | 17.5 | 560 | 49.9 | 207 | 37.0 | 2,251 | 36.7 | 503 | 22.3 | < 0.001 |
∞
Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin.
†
The alcohol variable reflects the blood alcohol content (BAC) of victims using 0.08% as the standard for intoxication. The other substances are indicated if there are any positive results. The levels for these substances are not measured.