Spate of 'detergent suicides' hits Japan

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Bob Juch · #1 Post by **Bob Juch** » Thu May 01, 2008 7:10 am

Look out LB!:

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- 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.

Japan has had a series of suicides that release toxic fumes like this one in Konan, where a 14-year-old girl died.

The man mixed the chemicals in his home in Otaru, on the island of Hokkaido and was found dead shortly after midnight Wednesday.

Police ordered an immediate evacuation of 350 neighbors as the resulting gas can sicken people.

His unconscious mother was taken to a hospital where she later recovered, a Hokkaido prefectural police spokesman said.

The recent death comes after a 14-year-old Japanese girl killed herself using the same method last month.

In the week the girl died, a 31-year-old man outside Tokyo killed himself inside a car by mixing detergent and bath salts, police said.

A few days later, national broadcaster NHK reported that a man in his 30s was found dead by hotel employees who noticed a strange smell coming from his room.

Media reports in Japan also suggested that the number of similar deaths had reached about 30 this year, including several cases in which bystanders were sickened.

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.

A day before the Otaru incident, police in Japan had asked Internet service providers to take down the recipe for the mix.

However, the recipes could still be accessed from various Web sites Thursday.

Japan has one of the highest rates of suicide in the world.

NellyLunatic1980 · #2 Post by **NellyLunatic1980** » Thu May 01, 2008 7:33 am

Whatever happened to the good ol' days when citizens of Japan committed suicide by plunging a knife or sword into their abdomens?

#3 Post by **littlebeast13** » Thu May 01, 2008 7:58 am

Cool! We could use a spike in sales, even if it means they won't be repeat customers....

lb13

Bob Juch · #4 Post by **Bob Juch** » Thu May 01, 2008 8:00 am

littlebeast13 wrote:Cool! We could use a spike in sales, even if it means they won't be repeat customers....

lb13

As long as they don't do it in the store.

#5 Post by **littlebeast13** » Thu May 01, 2008 8:05 am

Bob Juch wrote:
littlebeast13 wrote:Cool! We could use a spike in sales, even if it means they won't be repeat customers....

lb13
As long as they don't do it in the store.

I'd rather them mix chemicals in the aisle than tear apart the air freshener counter, the former's easier to clean up after....

lb13

Bob Juch · #6 Post by **Bob Juch** » Thu May 01, 2008 8:08 am

littlebeast13 wrote:
Bob Juch wrote:
littlebeast13 wrote:Cool! We could use a spike in sales, even if it means they won't be repeat customers....

lb13
As long as they don't do it in the store.
I'd rather them mix chemicals in the aisle than tear apart the air freshener counter, the former's easier to clean up after....

lb13

Yeah, you can use a forklift on the bodies.

#7 Post by **littlebeast13** » Thu May 01, 2008 8:17 am

Bob Juch wrote:
littlebeast13 wrote:
Bob Juch wrote: As long as they don't do it in the store.
I'd rather them mix chemicals in the aisle than tear apart the air freshener counter, the former's easier to clean up after....

lb13
Yeah, you can use a forklift on the bodies.

I'll just have the maintenance crew attach a cowcatcher to the buffer....

lb13

tanstaafl2 · #8 Post by **tanstaafl2** » Thu May 01, 2008 2:54 pm

NellyLunatic1980 wrote:Whatever happened to the good ol' days when citizens of Japan committed suicide by plunging a knife or sword into their abdomens?

A little something called World War II is what happened to it.

Or perhaps more accurately, the aftermath of WWII.