Concepts matter: Ending the self-injury mortality (SIM) epidemic is an early 21st century imperative

The author makes a case for a concept representing not separate suicide and poisoning mortality phenomena but one of single self-injury mortality (SIM). He introduces the concept of death from drug self-intoxication (DDSI) encompassing intentional, unintentional and undetermined intent. Effectively addressing SIM will require upstream approaches such as mitigating growing income inequality, economic dislocation and underemployment. With these definitions and multidisciplinary partnerships between government, private sector and community stakeholders, the author believes we can realize successes such as we have seen in reductions in mortality from motor vehicle traffic trauma, HIV, cardiovascular disease and tobacco-related lung cancer.