Common food preservative linked to rising suicide deaths among young people
Researchers have identified a link between the increased availability of sodium nitrite, a common food preservative, and a rise in suicide deaths in the UK. The study calls for urgent public health measures to restrict access to the chemical.
Why it matters
Addressing the accessibility of lethal substances is a critical component of suicide prevention strategies.
A chemical commonly used to preserve food has been linked to a recent increase in suicide deaths in the UK, with young people and boys and men accounting for a disproportionately large share of cases. The findings come from a comprehensive analysis of available data from 2019-24 published in the open-access journal BMJ Public Health .
Researchers say the findings point to an urgent public health need to reconsider unrestricted access to the chemical in an effort to prevent further avoidable deaths.
Suicide death rates across the UK have generally declined since the early 1990s. More recently, however, there are signs that the numbers may be increasing. At the same time, reports from around the world have documented a growing number of suicides associated with sodium nitrite poisoning.
Researchers Examine Sodium Nitrite Poisoning Cases
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in