Medicolegal Aspects of Deaths Due to Poisoning Occurred In Cities of Punjab and the State Of Himachal Pradesh

A poison is a substance capable of causing illness or harm to a living organism upon contact or introduction to the body. Toxins and venoms are poisons of biological origin, with the latter usually reserved to describe the bites or stings of poisonous animals. In India, the suicide rate is 18.5 suicide deaths for every 100,000 people. The majority (79%) of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. Ingestion of poison is one of the most common modes of suicide in low and middle-income countries such as India [1]. Among poisons, pesticides contribute to most cases of poisoning in India [2]. Pesticide poisoning in India is highly prevalent due to the widespread use of pesticides for agricultural and household activities. One of the major poisonings recorded in studies from India is the organophosphorus compounds [3-10]. The other common poisoning reported is aluminum phosphide [11-14]. The pattern of poisoning varies across geographical regions of the country. The study from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands observed paraquat poisoning as the major contributor to poisoning deaths [15]. Other poisoning agents include household agents, envenomations, and drugs. Agricultural or household pesticides and drugs are taken intentionally, whereas intake of corrosives, kerosene, and other miscellaneous agents, as well as animal bites, occurs accidentally. Understanding the geographical patterns of poisoning in a country can help identify risk factors. This, along with the integration of preventive and promotive health services, may help reduce morbidity and mortality. Owing to the lack of comprehensive scientific data on the prevalence of poisoning and its variation with age and region, preventive, curative, and rehabilitation measures are poorly implemented in India. Therefore, this review was performed to study the prevalence of various types of poisoning in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, along with their variations with age and region.