How is the manner of death classified in the case of an intentional drug overdose?

In cases of an intentional drug overdose, the manner of death is classified as suicide because the individual deliberately took the drugs with the intent to end their own life. Intent plays a crucial role in this classification. It indicates that the person had a premeditated intention to cause their own death, which aligns with the legal and forensic definitions used in medicolegal death investigations.

When investigating a death, determining the manner involves assessing all circumstantial evidence, such as documentation (like suicide notes), medical history, and witness statements. If evidence shows that the overdose was not accidental and that the intent to die was present, the death is categorized as suicide. This classification informs both the legal aspects of the case and the public health strategies for preventing similar incidents in the future.

In contrast to this classification, homicide would imply that another person was responsible for causing the death intentionally, while accidental would suggest that the overdose occurred unintentionally without the intent to die. Undetermined typically applies when the available evidence is insufficient to confidently categorize the manner of death as one of the other options. Therefore, in the presence of clear evidence of intent, classifying the death as suicide is the appropriate choice.