TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2021//
TI  - The early impact of paraquat ban on suicide in Taiwan
JO  - Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
A1  - Chang, Shu-Sen
A1  - Lin, Chien-Yu
A1  - Lee, Ming-Been
A1  - Shen, Lih-Jong
A1  - Gunnell, David
A1  - Eddleston, Michael
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - INTRODUCTION: Pesticide ingestion is a leading method for suicide worldwide. Paraquat is a highly lethal herbicide when ingested. We assessed the impact of the first-stage ban on the import and production of paraquat (from February 2018) on suicides by pesticide poisoning in Taiwan. <br><br>METHODS: Suicide data by method (pesticide vs. non-pesticide), pesticide (paraquat vs. non-paraquat), and area/sex/age were extracted from the national cause-of-death data files (2011-2019). Negative binomial regression was used to estimate changes in suicide rates in 2019, compared to the expected rates based on pre-ban linear trends (2011-2017). <br><br>RESULTS: The paraquat ban was followed by an estimated 37% (rate ratio [RR] = 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54-0.74) reduction in pesticide suicide rate (190 [95% CI 116-277] fewer suicides) in 2019, mainly due to a 58% (RR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.33-0.54) reduction in paraquat suicides (145 [95% CI 92-213] fewer suicides). Larger absolute reductions in pesticide suicides were found in rural areas, males, and the elderly (aged 65+ years) than their counterparts. Except for a 10% (95% CI 3-18%) reduction in overall suicide rates in the elderly, there was no statistical evidence for a change in non-pesticide and overall (all-method) suicides. <br><br>CONCLUSION: The ban on the import and production of paraquat was followed by a fall in whole-population pesticide and paraquat suicides and elderly suicides in Taiwan.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1556-3650
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2021.1937642
ID  - ref1
ER  -