Shane Darke of the University of New South Wales and colleagues from Australia and the UK conducted a retrospective study and found that most adult bathtub drownings are associated with substance use, including alcohol. The analysis included data from Australia's National Forensic Information System from January 2015 to November 2024. Causes of death were determined based on police, toxicology, and forensic reports. The results were published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review.
During the observation period, 195 people over the age of 15 (up to 98 years, average age 54.9 years; 65.1 percent were women) drowned in bathtubs and hot tubs. 55.4 percent of such deaths were considered accidental, 37.4 percent were considered intentional (suicide). In 57.9 percent of cases, experts concluded that the cause of death (or one of the causes) was the use of psychoactive substances. In total, such substances were detected in the blood of 84.9 percent of the deceased, most often these were sedatives and hypnotics (43.0 percent) and alcohol (41.9 percent; average concentration 1.76 grams per liter). In 16.9 percent of cases, signs of acute medical conditions, such as seizures or cardiovascular events, were detected, and in 8.7 percent - slips or falls. The authors of the study conclude that it is necessary to widely inform the population about the dangers of using psychoactive substances before taking a bath, similar to swimming in pools and open water.
