Gas Suicide Crisis

As reported here on April 3rd, suicides by homemade hydrogen sulfide gas are on the rise in Japan. This month has seen almost daily reports of such suicides, including today’s report of a man who gassed himself at the Penisula Hotel in Tokyo (pictured above). The man was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and the hotel has evacuated 4 floors as a safety measure.

A suicide in Konan City earlier this week, apparently of a junior high school girl that was a victim of bullying, forced the evacuation of an entire neighborhood and has attracted international press coverage:

The unidentified girl in Konan City left a note on the bathroom door of her family’s flat saying “poison gas being produced”, Japanese media said.

About 90 neighbours went to hospital feeling ill, including the girl’s mother, who was out of the flat during the suicide but later returned.

Most people complained of sore throats but none was severely ill, officials said.

Police said the teenager mixed detergent with a liquid cleanser to make hydrogen sulphide. The gas is colourless but smells like rotten eggs and is highly toxic, leading to suffocation or brain damage.

A news report last night flashed a list showing suspected cases of suicide gassing in the last month, and it was pretty shocking:

Now that the press has made a huge story out of the suicides, thousands of suicidal people are being notified of a way to off themselves by simply mixing together a few household cleaning products and passing out from the resulting toxic gas. Police are trying to make internet service providers delete or block websites with information on how to commit suicide in this manner, but it is unlikely that such websites can be fully eliminated.

[hat tip to John K]