3 ms·

Given how common accidental paracetamol overdose is I think it’s perfectly reasonable.

by padjo 1y ago

DougN7 1y ago
I’ve never heard of this particular overdose. In the US it’s completely unmonitored and I’ve never heard of an overdose. I’m genuinely surprised.
- OJFord 1y ago
  It's unfortunately quite easy to do even inadvertently (not following dosage instructions) - doesn't take a lot. The reason for the rule though was to combat its use in suicide attempts. They also have to be sold in blister packs here for the same reason, not the big bottles of Tylenol/Advil etc. that you get there (and we used to here) - relatively difficult to take several, requires more preparation than just chugging a bottle.
- padjo 1y ago
  “A study of cases of acute liver failure between November 2000 and October 2004 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US found that paracetamol was the cause of 41% of all cases” from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol_poisoning https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol_poisoning
  - yencabulator 1y ago
    From that wikipedia page: > In adults, single doses above 10 grams or 200 mg/kg of bodyweight, whichever is lower, have a reasonable likelihood of causing toxicity. 10g is 20 pills of the highest strength you'll find in a regular store. Excedrin brand "Extra Strength" is half of that, you'd have to be eating 40+ pills in 24 hours, or 20+ pills per day on multiple consecutive days. Most acetaminophen pills have 100-200 mg of the active ingredient. You're missing the context: > Intentional overdosing (self-poisoning, with suicidal intent) is frequently implicated in paracetamol toxicity.[25] In a 2006 review, paracetamol was the most frequently ingested compound in intentional overdosing.[26] So, it's not that acetaminophen will kill that easily. It's just that of the easily available ways to kill yourself, it's distinctly the one that destroys the liver quick.
southernplaces7 1y ago
Many very simple things can badly hurt or kill someone who doesn't take a few minutes to not be stupid about using them properly. Legislating with absurdities applied to all anything that possibly leads to completely individual harm because a few people can't take normal responsibility for themselves emphatically isn't reasonable.
- padjo 1y ago
  It’s not theoretical. On one side of the ledger we have people dying horrible deaths, on the other side we have people who can’t have vast quantities of paracetamol on hand for no particular reason. If you do in fact need vast quantities of paracetamol for some reason, it can be prescribed.
  - southernplaces7 1y ago
    The very idea that you should need special permission from some form of officialdom for having access to anything that is very widely useful but in all but a very, very small subset of select cases involving very, very few people who harm only themselves with its misuse is what's genuinely disgusting here. The vast majority of adults should be able to live in a world where they're not treated like 10-year-old children for seeking a bit of modest pain relief for very common ailments.
    - padjo 1y ago
      I really hope I never find myself living in a society where your perspective dominates. I’d rather we took care of the weak than grumble about such an inconsequential inconvenience.
      - exolymph 1y ago
        This attitude is why your society arrests people for mean tweets.
- singleshot_ 1y ago

Given how common accidental paracetamol overdose is I think it’s perfectly reasonable.

by padjo 1y ago

Given how common accidental paracetamol overdose is I think it’s perfectly reasonable.

I’ve never heard of this particular overdose. In the US it’s completely unmonitored and I’ve never heard of an overdose. I’m genuinely surprised.

OJFord 1y ago
It's unfortunately quite easy to do even inadvertently (not following dosage instructions) - doesn't take a lot. The reason for the rule though was to combat its use in suicide attempts. They also have to be sold in blister packs here for the same reason, not the big bottles of Tylenol/Advil etc. that you get there (and we used to here) - relatively difficult to take several, requires more preparation than just chugging a bottle.
padjo 1y ago
“A study of cases of acute liver failure between November 2000 and October 2004 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US found that paracetamol was the cause of 41% of all cases” from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol_poisoning https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol_poisoning
- yencabulator 1y ago
  From that wikipedia page: > In adults, single doses above 10 grams or 200 mg/kg of bodyweight, whichever is lower, have a reasonable likelihood of causing toxicity. 10g is 20 pills of the highest strength you'll find in a regular store. Excedrin brand "Extra Strength" is half of that, you'd have to be eating 40+ pills in 24 hours, or 20+ pills per day on multiple consecutive days. Most acetaminophen pills have 100-200 mg of the active ingredient. You're missing the context: > Intentional overdosing (self-poisoning, with suicidal intent) is frequently implicated in paracetamol toxicity.[25] In a 2006 review, paracetamol was the most frequently ingested compound in intentional overdosing.[26] So, it's not that acetaminophen will kill that easily. It's just that of the easily available ways to kill yourself, it's distinctly the one that destroys the liver quick.

southernplaces7 1y ago

Many very simple things can badly hurt or kill someone who doesn't take a few minutes to not be stupid about using them properly. Legislating with absurdities applied to all anything that possibly leads to completely individual harm because a few people can't take normal responsibility for themselves emphatically isn't reasonable.

padjo 1y ago
It’s not theoretical. On one side of the ledger we have people dying horrible deaths, on the other side we have people who can’t have vast quantities of paracetamol on hand for no particular reason. If you do in fact need vast quantities of paracetamol for some reason, it can be prescribed.
- southernplaces7 1y ago
  The very idea that you should need special permission from some form of officialdom for having access to anything that is very widely useful but in all but a very, very small subset of select cases involving very, very few people who harm only themselves with its misuse is what's genuinely disgusting here. The vast majority of adults should be able to live in a world where they're not treated like 10-year-old children for seeking a bit of modest pain relief for very common ailments.
  - padjo 1y ago
    I really hope I never find myself living in a society where your perspective dominates. I’d rather we took care of the weak than grumble about such an inconsequential inconvenience.
    - exolymph 1y ago
      This attitude is why your society arrests people for mean tweets.
singleshot_ 1y ago