Hydrogen Sulfide Suicides Come To The U.S.
Be Aware of This New Trend
Two recent suicides in the US have brought a disturbing Japanese suicide trend to the media forefront. I must admit that I have some trepidation about posting this story. This seems like one of those things that becomes more popular the more it is reported. I’ve decided to write about this because I believe that, if this trend continues, sooner or later, an Emergency responder is going to get hurt. I think this info is worth passing on to other responders …. discretely.
Over the past several years Japan has been hit by a wave of suicides involving hydrogen sulfide gas. Some 
sources like USA Today report a death toll of 517 and climbing.
Apparently, significant amounts of hydrogen sulfide can be created by mixing household detergents and liquid cleaners together. How much is significant? Enough to kill everyone in the room where the chemical is mixed, evacuate an apartment complex and send 10 other individuals to the hospital.
Some of these deaths have been linked to group suicide pacts. Most of the dead found the recipe in internet chat rooms and online suicide forums though the recipe was even published by Bloomberg at one point. (The media outlet later rethought the idea and removed the article from its online database.)
I consider myself fairly internet savvy and after a 15 minute search, the exact recipe to kill myself with hydrogen sulfide eluded me. I did find one source willing to name two specific products, but details regarding quantities and technique were mindfully absent. I wouldn’t say that the instructions for this type of suicide are “readily available” as some media outlets have claimed, but I’m certain that the information can be found by those suitably motivated to go forward with this plan.
