How many fatalities do you estimate that 1 242 949 kg (DXP) have caused in India during the years 1995 - 2010? (16 years). The average consumption per year was 77 684 kg.
How many fatalities do you estimate that 6 759 393 kg (DXP) have caused in the whole world during the years 1982- 2010? The average consumption per year was 233 082 kg.
Data from US and India
The consumption during the year 2010 for US and India - the last available data - was: US 44 376 kg and India 134 766 kg.
The first available data for India was 1995, the consumption was 34 524 kg, which increased with 390 per cent - to 134 766 kg for the year 2010. The figures for 1995 for US was 111 199 kg, and it was a decrease with 60 per cent to 44 376 kg for 2010.
The aim of this presentation was initially to estimate the number of fatalities due to poisoning to death of DXP in US, India and the world over time. We had data for the situation in Sweden, that´s what our research is about.
We found it very difficult to draw any specific conclusions of the above presented data about the numbers of fatalities in some special countries. Living conditions are different in most countries, and especially if you compare some west European countries with countries in Asia.
Nonetheless, we report data from INCB - The International Narcotic Control Board in Vienna - and from our own research. Conclusions must to be taken in different environments and countries. We are just able to give some specific data – that we are responsible for ourselves - the data in Sweden.
Some data from Sweden:
During the years 1982 - 2005 (24 years) the total consumption of Propoxyxophene was 48 639 kg, which was 2 397 kg every year. Sweden is a small country, just 8 -9 million inhabitants during these years. (There are no figures about the consumption between the years 2006 - 2010).
During the investigated years 1992 - 1999 was the consumption 18 720 kg, that was 2 340 kg every year. According to our research - http://bit.ly/PMoh8j - we found 200 fatalities due to poisoning to death by Propoxyphene.)
Accordingly, in our Swedish material there was a consumption of 2 340 kg every year during the 8 years 1992 - 1999 that caused 200 fatalities every year.
How did we get our data?
We got the data - about the global consumption - that we use here from Herbert Schaepe, Secretary. INCB. The year 1982- 2001, and from 2002 - 2010 http://bit.ly/z1l1rK - His email to us was sent 28 November 2002.
We also got data from Pavel Pachta, Chief, Narcotic Control and Estimates Unit, These data was the consumption figures from Sweden, Norway and Denmark and the three "Big consumers" US, UK and France for the years 1982- 2001. Report of the International Narcotics Control for 2000-2010. http://bit.ly/Qkcc8s - His email to us was sent 6 March 2003
(Please read also our CV: http://bit.ly/NUSPQ4
Background data:
Since 1994 we have done research about the painkilling substance (Dextro) Propoxyphene (DXP) and we have been eager to find data - in other scientific articles - about how many persons that have died due to poisoning to death by DXP. In our own research this was one of our main questions.
Our most important data in our dissertations was the prevalence of DXP in forensic medicine studies, the numbers of fatalities due to DXP during the period we worked with. Study 1: The prevalence of DXP in autopsy blood samples. For Sci Int 1998;96:135-142.
The second most important results from our research were: Study 2: The manner of death among fatalities where DXP caused or contributed to death. For Sci Int 1998;96:181-187.
PS. Our sources, our data and the two emails mentioned above are available if you are interested in these data.
Illustration: Death - Dextropropoxyphene in forensic materials”.
We also transmit with this text an illustration to an article published by MPA on the 25 June 2007 – in Swedish. The article is called “Dextropropoxyphene - follow-up report on the safety 2000-2006”. http://bit.ly/OsfV7u - The picture: “Death - Dextropropoxyphene in forensic materials”. http://bit.ly/PdWxYP
It shows “unclear deaths (yellow), suicide (cerise) and accident (blue)”.
As we have said, we have published several studies about our results, where we found 200 fatalities every year 1992-1999. The illustration shows that even the year 2000 the number of fatalities was 200. And after this year there has been a real drop until the year 2006. In this year the fatalities was ca 50 persons.
