Sale of popular pain drug curbed | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

Wairarapa could be the toughest place in the country to buy a pack of Panadol under new restrictions aimed at preventing suicides.

The Wairarapa District Health Board will ask dairies, super-markets and pharmacies to sign a voluntary code next year limiting the amount of paracetamol they dish out.

Overdosing or mixing para-cetamol is a known method of suicide and the DHB hopes limiting access to the medication will lower the region's suicide rate.

DHBNZ, the Ministry of Health, and the Mental Health Foundation did not know of any other health board taking similar measures.

Judi Clement, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, praised the move, saying it was like locking up a firearm or boarding up a known jumping spot.

She said paracetamol was involved in too many suicides.

"Usually, they take it with something. I'm not a pharmacist or pharmacologist so I can't give you the details but it's quite a common way."

She said in Britain they had stopped selling paracetamol in bottles and used plastic packs to limit overdosing.

Asked how far restrictions should go, she agreed it was a balancing act.

"That's a very good question and it's a very difficult one to answer precisely. You can't stop everything but you have to stop the things you can. It would be irresponsible not to."

Carterton Mayor Garry McPhee, who speaks openly about his battle with depression, said the move was a good idea.

"There is a major problem with suicides in Wairarapa, so I think anything to help the problem is a good thing. It's not like we are short of pain-relief medicine."

He was unaware paracetamol was a common suicide method but could see the appeal.

"When you are in that state of mind, unless you have a major problem you don't really want to make a mess. You want to leave a good-looking corpse."

Ian Jurczyluk, manager and part-owner of The Chemists and Masterton Medical, said he had not heard of the DHB's plan but thought a voluntary code was a good idea.

Mr Jurczyluk said the pharmacies restricted the amount of paracetamol sold to children and teenagers because you only needed a small amount to overdose.

"People don't realise they can easily overdose themselves and it kills the liver very painfully, very slowly."

Unlike in the United States, where packs of 1000 tablets can be sold, packs of paracetamol available in New Zealand for general sale, such as at supermarkets, contain less than 10 grams per pack.

Larger packs are available only over the counter from pharmacies.

Statistics from the chief coroner show 219 people killed themselves by poisoning or overdosing in the past three years.

Only hanging eclipsed self-poisoning as the most common method of the 541 suicides in the 2009-2010 financial year.

Is the nanny state running wild? Is restricting paracetamol a good idea?

Email editor@age.co.nz and tell us your views.