Young women in particular are affected by overdoses without a prescription

The Japan Times reported this week on data released by the National Center for Neurology and Psychiatry, an agency under the national health ministry, that showed how excessive “consumption of such over-the-counter drugs has become increasingly popular in recent years.” The number of their addiction cases increased sixfold between 2012 and 2020.”

But the outlet also touched on a “recent study by Saitama Medical University’s Clinical Toxicology Center that found that a total of 124 patients were hospitalized for an overdose of over-the-counter medications from eight medical facilities surveyed between May 2021 and December 2022 .”

According to the Japan Times, the “average age of patients was 22, and nearly 80% of them were female.”

“The majority of patients are young women in their 20s or younger,” said Ryoko Kyan, an instructor at the center and one of the project’s lead researchers, as quoted by The Japan Times. “As for the motive for their overdose, approximately 70% of respondents reported that their intent was suicide or self-harm.”

“I think what we found in this research is that it’s not necessarily people who are alone and isolated,” Kyan added. “Many people are integrated into society, be it in the family, at school or at work, but still have worries that they cannot communicate to those around them and they find it difficult to live.”

Broadcaster NHK World-Japan said that about “34% of people surveyed were high school or university students, while 26.2% were full-time workers,” while more “over 80% were living with their families or partners at the time.”

“The survey also found that more than half of people who overdosed required intensive care in hospital,” the outlet reported. “A 15-year-old girl in Tokyo told NHK she took up to 30 cold pills after becoming upset about problems in a personal relationship.”

According to the Japan Times, “Over 60% of the time [the drugs] were purchased in a regular pharmacy or store,” while in other cases, “respondents said they either found medications at home that their family had already purchased or they purchased them over the Internet.”

Health officials in Japan have recently discussed proposals to legalize medical cannabis in the country. Reuters reported last fall that a panel appointed by the country’s health ministry “recommended that the country’s drug laws be revised to allow the importation and use of medical marijuana products.”

“The recommendation was based on meeting medical needs and harmonizing Japan with international standards,” the committee said in a report. The revision would apply to marijuana products whose safety and effectiveness have been confirmed by drug and medical device laws,” Reuters reported at the time, noting that the country “has very strict laws that prohibit the importation, production and use of illegal substances.” . ” and that the Health Ministry Committee report states that “only 1.4% of people in Japan have ever used marijuana, compared to 20-40% in Western countries.”

Japan’s strict cannabis ban was enshrined in the Cannabis Control Act of 1948, a post-World War II law that was largely based on the United States’ cannabis ban. Importing marijuana into Japan can result in a prison sentence of up to seven years. (High Times published a handy guide in July for any would-be smokers traveling abroad in Japan. Spoiler alert: You’re probably safer with Opium.)

In its report this week, The Japan Times quoted Yoshito Kamijo, the center’s director and lead researcher on the project, as saying, “It is perhaps no surprise that many use over-the-counter medications that are both legal and easily accessible.” given the strict drug ban.

Kamijo also pointed out that the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was a factor in this trend.

“Traditionally, young people could go to school and talk to their friends about their worries and problems in life,” said Kamijo, quoted by The Japan Times. “But when that gets difficult, many turn to social media or the internet to discuss their problems and end up being confronted with information about how they can use drugs to escape everyday life.”

The Japan Times noted that Kyan, meanwhile, pointed out that “it has recently become easier for young people to find information related to overdose of over-the-counter drugs when searching the Internet, and that there are online communities that support this behavior.”

“It is not a problem that can only be solved by medical institutions,” Kyan said, as quoted by the medium. “By making people more aware that there are many young people who feel isolated in society and their families, we hope more people will keep an eye on how their children are doing, both at home and at school .”