The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated December 2008:
As National Statistician. I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many suicides have been caused by the drug Co-proxamol in each of the last three years. (240754)
The table attached provides the numbers of deaths for which the underlying cause was suicide by drug poisoning and a paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene compound (co-proxamol) was mentioned on the death certificate either alone or together with other substances, from 2003 to 2007 (the latest year available).
Where more than one drug is mentioned on the death certificate, it is not always possible to tell which of them was primarily responsible for the death.
Deaths Paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene compound only Paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene compound and other substances Total mentions of paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene 2005 78 134 161 2008 82 65 80 2007 60 51 61 1 Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (3CD-10) codes X60-X64, Y10-Y34 and a paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene compound was mentioned on the death certificate. 2 Figures for England and Wales included deaths of non-residents. 3 Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 4 Where paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene were the only drugs mentioned on the death certificate, and where paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene were mentioned with other substances. Figures include deaths where dextropropoxyphene was mentioned without paracetamol, since in England and Wales dextropropoxyphene is very rarely ingested except in combination with paracetamol.