[Fatalities in drug dependent patients: suicide or accident?]

The investigation is based on the evaluation of 87 fatalities arising from drug addiction in autopsy material at the Institute for Forensic Medicine, Tübingen. When considered individually there were 76 cases of intoxication, 10 deaths due to external forces and one death due to natural internal causes as a result of drug abuse. The investigation was mainly concerned with the differentiation between suicide or accidental death in the intoxication group. Amongst the total of 76 cases we found 12 to be indisputable or probable suicides and 44 to be indisputable or probable accidents. The remaining 20 could not be classified with sufficient certainty. With the exception of the existence of a farewell letter there were no single meaningful differentiation criteria. There are indications which in themselves are not strong pointers but which, when considered together, allow a cautious interpretation. Finally the question is discussed as to how far the character changes typical in drug addiction can be explained by a latent suicidal tendency with quoad vitam fatalistic indifference.