Petition re: Paracetamol
 

Hi, I wanted to check whether I'm allowed to post a link to my friends petition re: stopping Paracetamol being sold to under 18s and only one packet to be sold at a time.

Thanks x

Hi,

I'm not sure about this but if you message one of the moderators I'm sure they will help you out and let you know whether you can or not.

Under 18s, really? I moved away for uni when I was 17, it would have been a nightmare to go and find an over-18 friend to buy paracetamol for me every time I had a headache :P

[sorry, I realise that doesn't answer your question at all!]

^that, I lived independantly at 17!

Also second pming a mod.

Don't agree with not selling to under 18's.
And selling only one pack at a time won't stop people going to more than one shop to get them.
The two packets limit is good enough.

I think making paracetamol behind-the-counter would reduce the issue more effectively - but then it would mean it couldn't be sold in tesco etc.

I realise this isnt a debate thread so sorry OP!

But dont we live in enough of a nanny state already? behind the counter-ing paracetamol would punish the milions of 'normal' people out there and personally wouldnt have stopped me ODing/ would probs just make people switch what they do it on which doesnt solve anything.

That's what I thought about them capping it at two per person, but I remember hearing that there was a great reduction in the number of paracetamol ODs when they did that that, so somehow it helped! I could have my facts wrong though.

Nope, you're very right!

However under 18's what would I have done. And also, I don't wanna have under 18 year olds asking me to go into the shop for them for paracetamol :p

Over the counter paracetamol would punish the people who don't wish to OD and can only get to a store like tesco without a pharmacy.

This is very true, in my town though every co op has a little stand for medication, and all the shops shut at 12 other than asda thats 24 hours. Another thing is ANXIETY sometimes I'd rather roll in nails than ask for a pharmacist for medication. I just wanna get my stuff and go to self serve and leave.

I hate going to the pharmacy. I always do self service too!!

I don't do people.

As someone who has recently oded on paracetamol the one pack limit wouldn't have stopped me as I stockpile the drug and go to multiple stores. Limiting it to one pack is punishing the majority of people who don't abuse it.

Also many cough and cold medications contain paracetamol so if there was a rules saying that if you had to go to pharmacy it would lead to bigger queues especially in the cold season as lots of people would be in there just to buy something which could easily bought elsewhere.

If someone wants to OD they'll find a way even with stricter legislation. Why punish the vast majority?

I don't think anyone's debating that there aren't ways around the rules, I'm just saying that the statistics suggest that the restrictions did actually help.

I just think 2 packet restrictions is enough.
There's too much mollycoddling.

I'm not even saying I agree with any further restriction, because I'm not sure I do, I just find using anecdotes as counter-evidence for genuine statistics to be a rather curious pursuit.

Also aware that this is not a debate thread so will stop arguing, sorry OP!

Agreed.
OP's question has been answered and if anything this thread needs to be closed.

It's ridiculous. Human beings can't make decisions for themselves anymore. We have to wrapped in cotton bloody wool because of a minority.
Why don't we have psychiatric background checks before we sell knives, or paracetamol?
It'll get to the point where we can't do anything.

I really think this would be a good point for people to step away from the thread if it is upsetting them.

After 30 seconds of google search, iv found a medical journal basically saying that restrictions on buying paracetamol dont make much of a diffrence in the rate of suicide

I have to say I agree with everyone else, restricting it to those under the age of eighteen would just make life difficult for normal people. When I was 16 I got terrable migrains and went through alot of medication like paracetamol would of made it very akward for me to have to get an over 18 person to buy it

This is a good post.

Reference?

Also:
http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f403

For those that don't have access it is mentioned here: http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/...splay/?id=9516

i don't think it should be restricted further though. If people want to OD they will find a way. But there is something about taking away the immediate impulsivivity of things by creating an extra barrier.

From me?

Im not comfortable at all posting a reference here because the journal also mentions lethal doses. Im not sure if I can pm it to people?

Fair enough. Did you read the article I posted a link to? It counters yours so you may be interested

there is also one here: http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f403

Il have a read thanks x