Suicide and fatal drug overdose are two events
that affect millions of people across the world,
and are quite prominent within the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) de!nes suicide as “death caused by selfdirected injurious behavior with an intent to die as
a result of the behavior” (2018, September 6). The
CDC de!nes an overdose as “injury to the body
(poisoning) that happens when a drug is taken in
excessive amounts. An overdose can be fatal or
nonfatal” (2017, August 28).) These de!nitions
are important because there can be confusion
when talking about these topics. As such, keeping
meanings consistent will aid in keeping all
information regarding these topics uniform
and accurate.