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Cocaine-Related Suicide Attempts in Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil: Toxicological Profile and Temporal Analyses
Bruno Pereira Dos Santos1, Viviane Cristina Sebben2, Marcelo Dutra Arbo1
1Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Substance Use & Misuse
|May 12, 2026
Summary
Cocaine-related suicide attempts have significantly increased, particularly among young men aged 20-39. This rise accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating a critical public health concern.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Poisoning is a frequent method for suicide attempts.
- Drug use, including cocaine, is a known risk factor for self-harm.
- Investigating cocaine's role in suicide attempts by self-poisoning is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in cocaine-related suicide attempts.
- To identify demographic and toxicological patterns in these cases.
- To assess temporal changes in cocaine-induced self-poisoning over two decades.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of poisoning cases from a Brazilian Poison Center (2005-2024).
- Selection of cases involving cocaine as the primary toxic agent in suicide attempts.
- Demographic, toxicological, and temporal analyses, including ARIMA modeling.
Main Results:
- 1,089 cocaine-related suicide attempt cases were recorded.
- Males (64.1%) and young adults aged 20-39 (73.7%) were the predominant groups.
- A significant increase of 1,833% in cases was observed over 20 years, with a notable acceleration from 2020 onwards.
Conclusions:
- A substantial rise in cocaine-related suicide attempts has occurred recently.
- The COVID-19 pandemic period showed a marked shift in these incidents.
- The typical profile involves males aged 20-39 years.
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