I have never seen any statistics which distinguished between self-administered “accidental” overdoses and plain suicide. And I wonder how one distinguishes between the two.
In attempting to remove all personal responsibility from drug deaths (I wonder) is the deliberate taking of one’s own life not seriously considered by those who compile the statistics?
It would seem many probably most families (quite understandably) would prefer to explain the death of a loved one not as suicide but as the result of some evil, impersonal force like “opioid addiction.”
We go to great efforts in this country to avoid seeing things the way they actually are which (IMO) is the result of the infantilization of America.
......”I have never seen any statistics which distinguished between self-administered accidental overdoses and plain suicide. And I wonder how one distinguishes between the two”.....
Generally the addict isn’t thinking about anything more than getting the high he’s seeking...and we know over time drugs can affect their judgement. I’d assume it would also be a matter of how far into addiction they are. At 21 yrs. old I doubt this was a suicide.