Paracetamol rules ‘useless’ in preventing suicides

THE regulations on the sale of paracetamol tablets are “practically useless” in preventing suicide attempts, psychiatric nurses have warned.

At the annual conference of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) in Limerick yesterday, chairman Liam McNamara will call for a review of the paracetamol regulations.

He will also describe the Government decision to halve spending on suicide prevention and research in the last budget from €1.11 million to €655,000 as "nothing short of criminal".