NCJ Number
186454
Journal
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs Volume: 32 Issue: 3 Dated: July-September 2000 Pages: 269-275
Date Published
July 2000
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study analyzed 5,690 toxicological screenings on blood and viscera of fatally injured persons at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo during 1994.
Abstract
The screenings analyzed totaled 39.5 percent of all deaths due to injury in the metropolitan area during the period. Almost half the victims presented a positive blood alcohol content. The exact proportion, however, varied according to the cause of death, with 64.1 percent of victims of drowning testing positive for alcohol, 52.3 percent of homicides, 32.2 percent of suicides, and 50.6 percent of motor vehicle accidents. Blood alcohol concentration also varied, with suicide victims presenting low concentrations and 70 percent of pedestrians hit by cars presenting high concentrations (0.2 percent or greater). Few cases tested positive for drugs other than alcohol and, of those who did, the majority were positive for cocaine. However, the article emphasizes that the methods used to detect substances other than alcohol were only accurate enough to detect cases of overdose. The article suggests that these findings highlight the need to improve the study of alcohol-related fatalities in Brazil. Further, they suggest an important link between alcohol intoxication and fatal injury. Tables, figure, references