Took Overdoses Of Tranquillisers
(New Zealand Press Association)
AUCKLAND, June 26.
The Coroner at Otahuhu, Mr A. D. Copeland, said today he was alarmed at the regularity with which, cases of poisoning through overdoses of tranquillisers came before him.
“The ease with which these drugs can be obtained by people who are not capable of exercising normal restraint leaves one gravely concerned as to whether these drugs are, at times, indiscriminately prescribed,” he said. The Coroner was concluding inquests into the deaths of ■ three women whom he found committed suicide by an overdose of tranquilisers. In one case there was a prescription of 180, tablets to a girl of 22 ' with a history of attempted suicide. “In another, 270 tablets were prescribed •to a patient with a history of mental depression,” he said.
“In the other, 150 tablets were prescribed to a patient who was a known alcoholic. “I am informed that in the normal course, these prescriptions would constitute three months’ supply of these drugs.”
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30478, 27 June 1964, Page 14
Word Count
166Took Overdoses Of Tranquillisers Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30478, 27 June 1964, Page 14
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