Paracetamol is one of the drugs most present in Italian homes. We take it for fever, for headaches, for flu-like pain. It is considered by many to be a “trivial” medicine, almost harmless. But this very perception risks becoming dangerous, especially among adolescents.
The alarm was raised by the Italian Medicines Agency, which draws attention to the correct use of paracetamol after detecting a significant number of cases of intentional overdose among younger people.
According to AIFA, taking doses higher than those recommended can cause very serious damage, especially to the liver, with sometimes irreversible consequences.
Teenager alert
Of particular concern are the cases of intentional overdose in adolescents, which emerged from the analysis of data from the National Pharmacovigilance Network and the Poison Control Center of Pavia.
The Agency specifies that there is no evidence of “social challenges” or imitative phenomena linked to social networks, nor an increase in cases over time, but the phenomenon remains clinically relevant and deserves attention, especially because it involves a particularly vulnerable age group.
The problem, experts explain, often arises from a mistaken belief: thinking that paracetamol is a risk-free drug just because it is commonly used.
Intentional overdose may be linked to impulsive or demonstrative gestures and to a mistaken perception that paracetamol is a risk-free medicine. For this reason it is important that adolescents are aware of the risks linked to the improper use of medicines and that the adults involved play an active role in promoting correct information and responsible use, the note reads.
Paracetamol, in fact, if taken correctly is a safe and effective drug against pain and fever. But exceeding the indicated doses can cause severe liver toxicity, up to acute liver failure in the most serious cases.
AIFA recommendations
To reduce risks, AIFA invites families, caregivers and healthcare workers to pay particular attention to some fundamental rules:
The Agency also recalls the importance of reporting any adverse reactions, so as to continue to monitor the safety of medicines and protect public health.
The most delicate point of AIFA’s appeal is undoubtedly to remember that educating on the conscious use of drugs also means learning to listen to the emotional discomfort of young people, before it turns into a concrete risk for their health.
