Table 3.
Psychoactive substances in deaths by poisoning and all other causes, according to manner of death, n (%)
| Norway | Sweden | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suicides | Accidents | Suicides | Accidents | Undetermined deaths | ||||||
| Poisoning n = 37 | Other n = 99 | Poisoning n = 112 | Other n = 45 | Poisoning n = 56 | Other n = 136 | Poisoning n = 62 | Other n = 62 | Poisoning n = 33 | Other n = 26 | |
| Ethanol | 14 (38) | 22 (22) | 32 (29)o | 15 (33) | 22 (39) | 51 (38) | 27 (44)o | 17 (27) | 11 (33)o | 9 (35) |
| Opioids | 12 (32) | 4 (4) | 82 (73)*** | 5 (11) | 19 (34) | 8 (6) | 35 (57)* | 3 (5) | 19 (58)* | 1 (4) |
| Heroin/morphine | 4 (11) | 3 (3) | 63 (56) | 2 (4) | 3 (5) | 1 (1) | 13 (21) | 0 | 6 (18) | 0 |
| Other opioidsa | 9 (24) | 2 (2) | 26 (23) | 4 (9) | 18 (32) | 7 (5) | 26 (42) | 3 (5) | 17 (52) | 1 (4) |
| Psychostimulantsb | 5 (14) | 5 (5) | 23 (21)o | 1 (2) | 1 (2) | 5 (4) | 14 (23)** | 1 (2) | 3 (9)o | 1 (4) |
| Cannabinoids | 0 | 6 (6) | 16 (14)* | 4 (9) | 2 (4) | 1 (1) | 10 (16)* | 0 | 3 (9)o | 0 |
| Benzodiazepines and z-drugsc | 23 (62) | 23 (23) | 57 (51)o | 7 (16) | 26 (46) | 23 (17) | 27 (44)o | 3 (5) | 19 (58)o | 3 (12) |
| Sedative antihistaminesd | 4 (11) | 5 (5) | 8 (7)o | 0 | 23 (41) | 10 (7) | 12 (19)* | 2 (3) | 13 (39)o | 1 (4) |
| Antidepressants | 13 (35) | 17 (17) | 20 (18)* | 3 (7) | 23 (41) | 33 (24) | 17 (27)o | 4 (7) | 18 (55)o | 4 (15) |
| SSRI/SNRI | 8 (22) | 13 (13) | 13 (12) | 2 (4 | 18 (32) | 32 (24) | 14 (23) | 3 (5) | 15 (46) | 4 (15) |
| Other antidepressants | 7 (19) | 5 (5) | 10 (9) | 2 (4) | 12 (21) | 4 (3) | 6 (10) | 2 (3) | 5 (15) | 0 |
| Antipsychotics | 9 (24) | 7 (7) | 11 (10)* | 1 (2) | 4 (7) | 2 (2) | 5 (8)o | 0 | 2 (6)o | 0 |
| Antiepilepticse | 6 (16) | 1 (1) | 9 (8) o | 1 (2) | 7 (13) | 4 (3) | 3 (5)o | 1 (2) | 2 (6)o | 0 |
| Other/unspecified psychoactive agentf | 4 (11) | 8 (8) | 18 (16)o | 1 (2) | 3 (5) | 2 (2) | 1 (2)o | 0 | 3 (9)o | 0 |
| Any psychoactive agent | 32 (87) | 58 (59) | 108 (96)* | 26 (58) | 55 (98) | 87 (64) | 59 (95)o | 23 (37) | 33 (100)o | 14 (54) |
aMethadone, buphrenorphine, oxycodone, ketobimedone, tramadol, fentanyl, dextropropoxyphene. Includes combination drugs containing codeine, but not codeine assumed to be derived from heroin/morphine
bAmphetamine/methamphetamine, cocaine/benzoylecgonine, MMA, ecstasy and related substances
cZolpidem and zopiclone
dAlimemazine, promethazine, dexchlorfeniramine, hydroxyzine and related substances
eKarbamazepin, lamotrigin, fenobarbital, gabapentin, pregabalin, fenytoin, topiramat (not benzodiazepinesf GHB, nimbex, tiopental, baclofen, propofol, ketamin, butan, orfenadrin, somadril/karsiprodol, biperiden, kloroxazon
fGHB, nimbex, tiopental, baclofen, propofol, ketamin, butan, orfenadrin, somadril/karsiprodol, biperiden, kloroxazon
oAccidents/undetermined deaths by poisoning not significantly different from suicides by poisoning (p-value > 0.05)
*Accidents/undetermined deaths by poisoning not significantly different from suicides by poisoning (p-value < 0.05)
**Accidents/undetermined deaths by poisoning not significantly different from suicides by poisoning (p-value < 0.01)
***Accidents/undetermined deaths by poisoning not significantly different from suicides by poisoning (p-value < 0.001)