North Columbus News

Washington, D.C. – Representative Mike Carey (OH-15) announced the passage of his Youth Poisoning Protection Act today. The bill was partially inspired by the 2020 death of Hilliard sixteen-year-old Kristine Jónsson.

“It’s a parent’s worst nightmare: a faceless stranger over the internet teaching your child how to take their own life, and your child, in a moment of vulnerability, listening to them,” said Congressman Carey. “At present, these chemicals are readily available online for minors to purchase and ship to their front door. This passage is a crucial step to getting deadly poisons out of the hands of our children,” he concluded.

Kristin Jónsson, mother of Kristine Jónsson, commented on the legislation: “So often people shrug their shoulders and think that if someone wants to die by suicide, there’s just nothing to be done, but the truth is that when lethal means are not available, the crisis will often pass. If this law existed when companies first learned of the SN danger, my daughter would have had a chance. Someday there will be a mother who is spared the pain our family is going through because this so-called quick and easy method recommended and sold online won’t be available.”

“I’m incredibly grateful to the lawmakers, including my own representative, Mike Carey. Psychologists have long known that suicide is often impulsive and that people change their minds in the middle of the act but when something this lethal and irreversible is easily available — especially to children — there’s almost no hope of survival,” Jónsson concluded.

Carrie Goldberg and Naomi Leeds represent 30 families who lost loved ones to sodium nitrite self-poisoning. They stated: “Over three years ago we first started urging an online retailer to stop selling industrial grade sodium nitrite to households, informing them that the chemical was touted on suicide discussion boards and had killed our clients’ children. Then retailer told us that even if it was used for suicide, they had no responsibility to stop selling it. So they kept selling it, delivering it to homes across America, and killing more teens and vulnerable adults. In other countries where it was illegal to sell it though they complied with the law. We went from representing one family to thirty because so many more people died. Most consumers don’t know how deadly a small quantity of SN is or how excruciating it is to ingest or how unlikely survival is even if they call 911. On behalf of dozens of heartbroken families we’re working with we express regret this law couldn’t save their loved ones and gratitude for lives it will spare.”

The bill was co-led in the House by Representative Lori Trahan (MA-03). In the Senate, Senators J.D. Vance (OH) and Tammy Duckworth (IL) led efforts.

“The Youth Poisoning Protection Act is urgently needed to limit consumer access to high concentrations of a dangerous toxic chemical that’s being promoted online as a method to die by suicide,” Congresswoman Trahan said. “It solely seeks to end straight-to-consumer sales of highly concentrated Sodium Nitrite that are helping fuel efforts by anonymous suicide forum users pushing vulnerable people towards ending their lives."

The Youth Poisoning Protection Act has garnered support from Consumer Reports, Public Citizen, Consumer Federation of America, National Consumers League, and Crisis Text Line.

Sodium nitrite primarily serves as a preservative for meat and fish but can be fatal if ingested in high concentrations; its lethality surpasses other poisons significantly.

If you or someone you know experiences suicidal thoughts or distress find help immediately through resources like 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline providing free confidential support 24/7 or Crisis Text Line offering free crisis counseling around-the-clock at HOME texted 741741.