Caffeine fatalities - Do sales restrictions prevent intentional intoxications?

Objective. Caffeine is widely available in beverages and in different over-the-counter products, including tablets containing 100 mg caffeine. Because intentional fatal intoxications with caffeine occur, the maximum quantity of caffeine tablets that can be bought over the counter in a single purchas...

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Published in:Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.) Vol. 48; no. 4; pp. 354 - 358
Main Authors: Thelander, Gunilla, Jönsson, Anna Kristina, Personne, Mark, Forsberg, Gunilla Sjölin, Lundqvist, Kristina Magnusson, Ahlner, Johan
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Informa UK Ltd 01.05.2010
Taylor & Francis
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Caffeine
Caffeine - blood
Caffeine - economics
Caffeine - poisoning
Central Nervous System Stimulants - economics
Central Nervous System Stimulants - poisoning
Commerce - legislation & jurisprudence
Drug Overdose - mortality
Drug Overdose - prevention & control
Fatal
Female
Humans
Male
MEDICIN
MEDICINE
Middle Aged
Poisoning
Substance-Related Disorders - mortality
Suicide - prevention & control
Suicide - statistics & numerical data
Sweden - epidemiology
Toxicology
Young Adult
Sweden
Toxicology
Poisoning
Fatal
Caffeine
ISSN:1556-3650, 1556-9519, 1556-9519
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Objective. Caffeine is widely available in beverages and in different over-the-counter products, including tablets containing 100 mg caffeine. Because intentional fatal intoxications with caffeine occur, the maximum quantity of caffeine tablets that can be bought over the counter in a single purchase was restricted from 250 to 30 in Sweden in the year 2004. The objective of this article was to study the effect of this decision on the number of fatal caffeine intoxications. Method. In Sweden 95% of all cases undergoing forensic autopsy are screened for a number of drugs including caffeine. All cases during January 1993-September 2009 with a caffeine concentration above 80 μg g blood were recorded. Results. During the study period toxicological investigations were performed in 83,580 forensic autopsies. Caffeine contributed to the fatal outcome in 20 cases (0.02%). Thirteen (65%) of these fatalities occurred before the introduction of the sales restriction. However, no fatal intoxications where caffeine contributed to the cause of death was recorded between May 2007 and September 2009. Conclusion. Overdoses of tablets containing caffeine can be fatal, suicides as well as accidents occur. Restricting the maximum quantity of caffeine tablets available over the counter seemed to be effective in preventing suicides because of caffeine although some time elapsed until the effect was noted. Further monitoring is required to ensure that the observed lower caffeine mortality is a sustained effect.
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ISSN:1556-3650
1556-9519
1556-9519
DOI:10.3109/15563650903586752