The rate of chemical suicides — which are achieved by mixing household chemicals into a poisonous gas — is increasing in the United States. The method is common in Japan.
Of the 72 chemical suicides documented by experts in the United States since 2008, at least 80 percent resulted in injuries to police officers, firefighters, emergency workers or civilians, The New York Times reports. Last year, there were 36 such suicides. Since Jan. 1, there have been at least 27.
To avoid exposure, rescuers cannot reach the victim until the hazardous gas is cleared, which can take hours. In some cases, houses in the nearby area must be evacuated as a precaution.
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