Government Designates Ham and Sausage Additive 'Sodium Nitrite' as Suicide-Related Substance

Related Suicides 0 in 2017 → 46 in 2021
Limited to Distribution Through Suicide Kits, etc.
Domestic Meat Products Are Safe to Eat

Food additive 'sodium nitrite,' commonly used in processed meats such as ham and sausages, is recently being misused as a means of suicide and will be designated as a 'suicide-related item.'

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 18th that it plans to revise the 'Notice on Suicide-Related Items' to additionally designate sodium nitrite and other 'substances causing toxic effects by antidotes and chelating agents not otherwise classified' as suicide-related items.

[Photo by Pixabay]

Sodium nitrite is one of the food additives that inhibits the growth of food poisoning bacteria and has antioxidant and flavor-enhancing effects, and has been added in very small amounts to processed meat products worldwide.

The residual allowance standard for sodium nitrite in domestically produced meat products in Korea is less than 70 ppm, which is much stricter than the EU (150 ppm) and the United States (200 ppm), so food can be safely consumed.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare explained that since suicides due to sodium nitrite poisoning increased from 0 in 2017 to 3 in 2018, 11 in 2019, 49 in 2020, and 46 in 2021, they decided to add it as a designated item.

Sodium nitrite can be fatal if only 4 to 6 grams are ingested, and it has recently been reported as a new means of suicide in countries such as Australia and Japan. A Ministry of Health and Welfare official explained, "There are cases overseas where sodium nitrite is separately extracted and distributed," adding, "It is also smuggled in from abroad."

However, the revised notice manages cases where sodium nitrite is included only in illegal distributed products such as 'suicide drugs,' 'euthanasia drugs,' or 'suicide kits.'

Persons who distribute substances designated as suicide-related items for the purpose of inducing suicide through information and communication networks will face criminal penalties, including imprisonment for up to two years or fines of up to 20 million won. Additionally, if it is clearly judged that a person has purchased or expressed intent to purchase suicide-related items online to carry out suicide, emergency rescue will be conducted by locating the person through police and fire services.

Meanwhile, the notice on suicide-related items was established in January 2020 to regulate items frequently used or likely to be used as means of suicide.

At the time of establishment, substances causing toxic effects such as ▲carbon monoxide (e.g., briquettes) ▲herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides (pesticides) were designated, and in January of this year, substances causing toxic effects by antiepileptic drugs, sedatives, sleeping pills, and antiparkinsonian drugs were additionally designated.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.