EVERY case of suicide is a terrible tragedy. But the anguish for the families of those who have killed themselves must be horrendously increased whenever it seems their deaths might have been avoided.

East Lancashire father Marban Ahmed, whose mother-of-four wife was found hanged after being prescribed the drug Seroxat for post-natal depression, believes the drug may have been responsible for a marked change in her personality. And he is among 4,500 people who have contacted a law firm gathering evidence about Seroxat with a view to legal action against its makers.

That is a process which may eventually resolve the issue of whether or not Seroxat holds an increased suicide risk for the depression victims. Balanced against it is the fact that it has become the world's most-used anti-depressant drug -- and claims are that it is the most successful -- having been prescribed for millions of people over ten years.

But contested law suits can be long and arduous. And meantime a government inquiry continues into reports of adverse effects of the class of drugs to which Seroxat belongs. Yet, what of the use of Seroxat during what could be a long interim until these steps provide an answer to these concerns?

Would it not be wiser, as one coroner has already demanded, for the drug to be withdrawn while its safety is fully investigated?