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Smaller packs of paracetamol have reduced overdose deaths by 43%

Research

UK legislation to limit paracetamol pack sizes has seen a 43% reduction in the number of deaths due to paracetamol overdoses, a study led by Oxford University researchers has found.

'Paracetamol overdoses result in some 100 to 200 deaths per year. While it is not the most common method of suicide, it is an important one in that deaths often result from impulsive acts where death may not be intended,' says lead researcher Professor Keith Hawton of the Centre for Suicide Research at Oxford.

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