Dwyer & Jones state that self-poisoning incidents involving drugs are increasing to the extent that they comprise 10% of acute medical admissions to hospitals. Analgesics are frequently the type of drug used, particularly by females in the 15-44 age group. Mortality data in this study is grouped into 4 categories: propoxyphene, aspirin, paracetamol & a general category of “other analgesics”. Propoxyphene comprised 62.9% of all cases of overdose studied in a 5-year sample (1976-1980). (NBB)