Spate of ‘detergent suicides’ hits Japan
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A 24-year-old Japanese man killed himself by mixing laundry detergent and cleaning fluids, releasing noxious fumes into the air and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people from their homes…
Around 350 people were forced to flee their homes to escape the poisonous fumes, thought to be hydrogen sulfide…
The suicides are seen as part of a spate of detergent-related deaths that experts say have been encouraged by Internet suicide sites since last summer.
Seiji Yoshikawa, deputy head of the Internet Hot Line, which operates under the guidelines of police, said the number of sites promoting detergent suicides soared in April. “They are rife on the Internet. Writing examples include ‘you can die easily and beautifully’ and ‘this is much easier than charcoal-burning suicide,” Yoshikawa said, referring to a once-popular suicide method…
Some sites reportedly provide “poison gas” warnings that viewers can print out and hang outside their doors when they kill themselves.
Now, that’s thoughtful.
Posted: Thu - May 1, 2008 at 12:56 PM