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Unfortunately, in the last few years, experts have seen more people consume sodium nitrite on purpose as a method of suicide. This is especially true with young adults. What Is Sodium...
A 24-year-old previously healthy female intentionally ingested approximately 10 g of powdered sodium nitrite in a suicide attempt, following the instructions she obtained from a suicide blog. She recently felt depressed, was unable to work, and had trouble sleeping.
Sodium nitrite is convenient to use as an agent in suicide as it is inexpensive, widely available, and easy to use; i.e., it can simply be taken as a drink when dissolved in water. The lethal dose of sodium nitrite has been estimated to be between 1 g and 2.6 g [ 24 , 27 ], whereas The Peaceful Pill Handbook recommends a 15 g dose [ 33 ].
Unfortunately, online forums exist that detail how to dose sodium nitrite for suicide. Furthermore, it has been recently discussed in popular news streams after a celebrity died of an overdose. Sodium nitrite toxicity is capable of causing severe methemoglobinemia with high mortality. Prompt identification is crucial.
Sodium nitrite poisoning can be difficult to identify, and deaths can appear natural without further investigation or evidence suggesting suicide. A lethal dose can vary widely, Saleh notes.
Data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2022, which were in relation to the US population for the twenty years from 2000 to 2020, showed that the suicide rate increased by 30%, with a peak that was reached in 2018 and with a 3–4 times higher rate in males [ 2 ].
Sodium nitrite self-poisoning is an increasingly used planned suicide method among young people. Further studies are required to identify the impact of means safety interventions on the incidence of sodium nitrite self-poisoning incidents.
