The parents of 16-year-old Kristine Jónsson of Ohio and the parents of 17-year-old Ethan McCarthy of West Virginia claim that Amazon assisted in the suicide of their children by selling them sodium nitrite, an industrial chemical and food preservative that is lethal at high levels of purity.
The parents' attorneys say,
Amazon is selling a product that is as deadly as cyanide. This is different from them selling rope, knives, or other implements that can be used for death because there is no household use for [sodium nitrite] at the level of purity (98-99%) it sells it.
In a statement, Amazon extended its "deepest condolences" to the families and loved ones of people affected by suicide, but as far as selling sodium nitrite goes, the company said,
Sodium nitrite is a legal and widely-available product offered by retailers to preserve foods, such as meats and fish, and for use in laboratories as a reagent. Sodium nitrite is not intended for consumption, and unfortunately, like many products, it can be misused.
However, according to the lawsuit, the part that is problematic is the products Amazon was allegedly recommending be purchased along with sodium nitrite.
Recommendations included an Amazon edition of the Peaceful Pill Handbook, which details methods of assisted suicide, including how to use sodium nitrite. Amazon also recommended a scale to get the correct dose and an anti-vomiting agent to prevent vomiting up the chemical.
Because of these algorithmic recommendations, the parents are accusing Amazon of selling "suicide kits."
I tried to confirm if those recommendations occurred when I viewed sodium nitrite on Amazon, and they did not. I use a browser that does not allow tracking between websites, which makes me suspect that the teens in question had been researching suicide forums and got recommendations based on algorithms that were tracking their browsing habits.
Amazon has reportedly been aware of the issue for some time now. In February, a bipartisan group of House members sent a letter to Amazon asking about the retailer's sales of sodium nitrite and related suicides and for details on what the company intends to do to help stop the issue.
The lawsuit states that Ebay has banned the sell of sodium nitrite on their site, contrasting it with Amazon.
In contrast, upon receiving notice that the Sodium Nitrite it was selling and delivering was killing kids, Amazon made the informed decision, on the counsel and advice of their lawyers, to continue to sell a substance they know is sold over and over again for suicide.
Just so you know, there is an antidote to poisoning with sodium nitrite called methylene blue delivered intravenously, which means a hospital trip, but it's good to know. Also, here is a link to various hotlines and resources for suicide prevention.
Be safe out there and protect your kids.
