Japanese recent "WMD" suicides...

[Herrmannek]

You know the ones where guys mix some cleaning chemicals in a bathtub they get killed and the whole building gets intoxicated too... I don't know the chemistry, but I bet its all over Internet for the bad guys to find if they can't invent it themselves.... MY worry is the bad guys even if can't kill anyone with it can make a serious panic deploying this **** in a crowdy place... I'm just curious when that happens...

[Mofreaka]

Wait, what? Do you have an article or something that explains a little more? Mixing cleaning chemicals is already a good way to do something bad, we knew that.

[T3ngu]

Took me two cracks at university level chemistry to pass. Can i be in on it.

[Rudolph]

Enigmatic thread.

[Chulo]

Wait, what? Do you have an article or something that explains a little more? Mixing cleaning chemicals is already a good way to do something bad, we knew that.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=ytff1-&p=japanese+suicide+detergent&SpellState=n-2610130424_q-CsvAkEeL3tYMDeqfn5ZVPAAAAA%40%40&fr2=sp-qrw-corr-top




Japanese Girl Commits Suicide With Detergent, Sickens 90 Neighbors

TOKYO — A 14-year-old Japanese girl killed herself by mixing laundry detergent with cleanser, releasing fumes that also sickened 90 people in her apartment house, police said Thursday as they grappled with a spate of similar suicides.
None of the sickened neighbors in Konan, southern Japan, were severely ill, although about 10 were hospitalized, authorities said. The deadly hydrogen sulfide gas escaped from the girl's bathroom window and entered neighboring apartments.
The girl's suicide Wednesday night was part of an expanding string of similar deaths that experts say have been encouraged by Internet suicide sites.
A 31-year-old man outside Tokyo killed himself inside a car early Thursday by mixing detergent and bath salts, police said. A local police spokesman refused to give further details, but Kyodo News agency reported the man put a sign reading "Stay Away" on the car window.
Reports of another similar case emerged Thusday afternoon when a 42-year-old woman in Nagoya, central Japan, was found dead in a bathtub. According to Kyodo, there was toilet cleaner and bath powder nearby, along with a sign outside that read, "Poisonous gas being emitted. Caution."
Nagoya police said they could not comment on the case, but Kyodo said that fire officials called to the scene did not detect hydrogen sulfide g
/**/ The method has alarmed officials because of the danger that bystanders can be hurt.
"It's easy and everyone can do it," said Yasuaki Shimizu, director of Lifelink, a Tokyo-based group specializing in halting suicides. "Also there is a lot of information teaching people how to do it on the Internet."
Police say they have not tallied the number of detergent-related suicides, but media reports suggest it has reached about 30 this year, including several cases in which others were also sickened.
The 14-year-old girl, whose name was not released by police, followed the pattern of other deaths.
She mixed detergent with a liquid cleanser in her bathroom, police said. The door was closed, and she had affixed a sign on the outside warning, "Gas being emitted," Kyodo reported.
Most of those sickened nearby complained of sore throats, and about 30 people were evacuated to a nearby gymnasium.
Hydrogen sulfide gas is colorless and characterized by an odor similar to that of rotten eggs. When inhaled, it can lead to suffocation.
Japan's government has long battled to contain the country's alarmingly high suicide rate. A total of 32,155 people killed themselves in 2006, giving the country the ninth highest rate in the world, according to the government.
Suicides first passed the 30,000 mark in 1998, near the height of an economic slump that left many bankrupt, jobless and desperate.
The government has earmarked $220 million for anti-suicide programs to help those with depression and other mental conditions.
Last year it set a goal of cutting the suicide rate by 20 percent in 10 years through steps such as reducing unemployment, boosting workplace counseling and filtering Web sites that promote suicide.

[T3ngu]

Sounds like a brake fluid bomb gone wrong.

[dave81]

While cleaning a shower in the barracks, a buddy of mine mixed two cleaning chemicals thinking that two were better than one. I had just read the label that said the two should specifically NEVER be mixed together, and the second they mixed we had to run out of there.
According to an episode of "King of the Hill" that I watched years later, in which one of the characters does the exact same thing, my buddy had inadvertently created chlorine gas (http://firstaid.about.com/od/hazardousmaterials/ht/bleachgas.htm).

[RallyPointCebu]

thats an alarming rate. over 30T suicide per year. wow.

thanks to suicide circle movie from japan.

[DesktopArmor]

thats an alarming rate. over 30T suicide per year. wow.

thanks to suicide circle movie from japan.

Yeah, that movie is just f***** up. The "copycat" syndrome is just crazy.

[CreepingDeath]

It seems they have learned something from their gas-guru. Surprisingly, Japan has the highest suicide rates.

[Herrmannek]

It seems they have learned something from their gas-guru. Surprisingly, Japan has the highest suicide rates.

There is no surprise in that....

[seraosha]

Yeah, what gives with Japans suicide rate? Is it just cultural, or is there more going on?

[Rudolph]

Always been part of their culture I think (plus ritual suicide is well-known to Westerners through movies and literature). Plus, look how unusually personal it is conducted - the Japanese seem to kill themselves in isolation, opposed to Westerners who I believe more regularly kill others as well. I figure the difference is that mostly the Japanese commit suicide because they feel they have let people down. Strong sense of loyalty and duty. Like getting bad marks at school. It's not just being depressed at getting low marks, but feeling like you're too much of a failure to waste other people's time who are seemingly more capable. I find it fascinating. Such strong people! The one Japanese Noble Prize winner also said there is a believe that an artist must kill himself if he believes he'll never achieve the same quality of work as his masterpiece, apparently part of Japanese culture according to the book I read... Famous director Akira Kurosawa tried this too. But I guess in the modern world it needs to be modified a bit without losing the committment to the country and its people.

Besides for cultural reasons, I personally believe it also has to do with education and intelligence. The dumber you are the less chances of committing suicide - I mean, would a dumb person be as likely to fully comprehend his predicament in the grand scheme of things? I know I read something from one psychologist regarding just this, pointing out how black people in South Africa rarely committed suicide, but how the urbanized Africans emulated the Westerners in suicide as well after attaining the same lifestyle and goals.

How is Germany on this list? This one German executive was joking that in Germany if they put up a street-sign saying: "Hold your breath" and you came upon the street you'd only see dead Germans litter the street.

[Meatwad]

It seems they have learned something from their gas-guru. Surprisingly, Japan has the highest suicide rates.

It's not surprising actually. It has to do with their culture, the high pressure they put on themselves to suceed, and the odd social restrictions. All togheter it can make a life seem pretty bleak and intolerable to them.

[SOG]

While cleaning a shower in the barracks, a buddy of mine mixed two cleaning chemicals thinking that two were better than one. I had just read the label that said the two should specifically NEVER be mixed together, and the second they mixed we had to run out of there.
According to an episode of "King of the Hill" that I watched years later, in which one of the characters does the exact same thing, my buddy had inadvertently created chlorine gas (http://firstaid.about.com/od/hazardousmaterials/ht/bleachgas.htm).

I put a ton of bleach on a nasty floor to clean it good mixed with some ajax. It was funny till I started choking, eyes burning, couldn't keep them open, could barely breath, took a pair of underwear, soaked them, tied them around my head/mouth, dumped water on my eyes, held my breath and worked the area till I cleaned it up. I was choking so hard I wanted to puke. Nightmare. Some things I've done in the past were stupid in a "haha" funny way. This was not one of them.


While cleaning a shower in the barracks, a buddy of mine mixed two cleaning chemicals thinking that two were better than one.I have to admit I laughed when I read this but my own experience curtailed my giggle.

[seraosha]

It's not surprising actually. It has to do with their culture, the high pressure they put on themselves to suceed, and the odd social restrictions. All togheter it can make a life seem pretty bleak and intolerable to them.

But they have access to vending machines that sell soiled schoolgirl panties and beer! Doesn't add up.

[Glock 9mm]

I don't understand Japan. In 1945 she was taken away from the honour system and given democracy, freedom, a constitution, hollywood and FIAT currency. Will the same happen to Iraq? hmmm.

[Rudolph]

But they have access to vending machines that sell soiled schoolgirl panties and beer! Doesn't add up.

Yes, but I found that it doesn't come in all sizes... the hurting never stops.


I don't understand Japan. In 1945 she was taken away from the honour system and given democracy, freedom, a constitution, hollywood and FIAT currency. Will the same happen to Iraq? hmmm.

You cannot change a people's spirit! Is ze Germans docile little children who can be overrun because they haven't fought a war in 60 years? Of course not! These things do not change so quickly!

[Glock 9mm]

Yes, but I found that it doesn't come in all sizes... the hurting never stops.



You cannot change a people's spirit! Is ze Germans docile little children who can be overrun because they haven't fought a war in 60 years? Of course not! These things do not change so quickly!

hmmm... I think most Germans are content to make Beamers and drink great beer at Okotober Fest. There's a lot of national guilt over WW II. Although it was really a global hyper-inflated currency problem and not one nation per sae.

Sounds like the Boer War is making a comeback though *wipes off his 303 british army rifle*

[mudbunny]

Always been part of their culture I think (plus ritual suicide is well-known to Westerners through movies and literature). Plus, look how unusually personal it is conducted - the Japanese seem to kill themselves in isolation, opposed to Westerners who I believe more regularly kill others as well. I figure the difference is that mostly the Japanese commit suicide because they feel they have let people down. Strong sense of loyalty and duty. Like getting bad marks at school. It's not just being depressed at getting low marks, but feeling like you're too much of a failure to waste other people's time who are seemingly more capable. I find it fascinating. Such strong people! The one Japanese Noble Prize winner also said there is a believe that an artist must kill himself if he believes he'll never achieve the same quality of work as his masterpiece, apparently part of Japanese culture according to the book I read... Famous director Akira Kurosawa tried this too. But I guess in the modern world it needs to be modified a bit without losing the committment to the country and its people.

Besides for cultural reasons, I personally believe it also has to do with education and intelligence. The dumber you are the less chances of committing suicide - I mean, would a dumb person be as likely to fully comprehend his predicament in the grand scheme of things? I know I read something from one psychologist regarding just this, pointing out how black people in South Africa rarely committed suicide, but how the urbanized Africans emulated the Westerners in suicide as well after attaining the same lifestyle and goals.

How is Germany on this list? This one German executive was joking that in Germany if they put up a street-sign saying: "Hold your breath" and you came upon the street you'd only see dead Germans litter the street.

Rudolph, that's a very astute analysis and right on the mark.
The identity of the people is directly tied to the identity of the country.
When the country fails or has problems, the people feel it as something that they have done, or not done.
When you narrow that down to a person living their life in a normal sense, they simply don't deal very well with failure and their culture obviously doesn't frown on suicide so it's seen as a logical way out of their predicament.
If you've ever worked with a Japanese person you know that they are absolute machines and have a work ethic and a pride in their work that I've never seen anything like.
They're an amazing people, but they hold themselves to such a high standard that anything other than perfection is unfathomable.

[Glock 9mm]

Always been part of their culture I think (plus ritual suicide is well-known to Westerners through movies and literature). Plus, look how unusually personal it is conducted - the Japanese seem to kill themselves in isolation, opposed to Westerners who I believe more regularly kill others as well. I figure the difference is that mostly the Japanese commit suicide because they feel they have let people down. ...


I didn't quote your whole text Rudolph to save the environment :D

Your observations of Western suicide is likely based on your media reporting the murders which were accompanied by suicide. The suicide rate greatly exceeds the murder rate. Murder with suicide on the grand scheme of things is a small percentage.

Mostly men commit suicide in Canada (3 times the rate of women) but I wager that the man's dissassociation with reality and healthy living may have been caused by numerous members of the opposite gender. That is from personal experience with no certified proof.

Suicides aren't really reported in Canada. They are about 4,000 per year.

But this doesn't count artificial suicide in traffic accidents. Nor does it count indirect suicide by ignoring the healthy living standards set out in various books. ie Diabettes, Obesity, Over drug use, and even extreme stress from anger leading to heart failure.

Society doesn't want to focus on the bad things the society is responsible for. They'd rather point their fingers at other nations and show off what is happening there to make it look like the home country is doing a better job than "the others".

Mental health and physical health and family health is more of a religious matter though and not military photos . net matter I guess.

[mudbunny]

I didn't quote your whole text Rudolph to save the environment :D

Your observations of Western suicide is likely based on your media reporting the murders which were accompanied by suicide. The suicide rate greatly exceeds the murder rate. Murder with suicide on the grand scheme of things is a small percentage.

Mostly men commit suicide in Canada (3 times the rate of women) but I wager that the man's dissassociation with reality and healthy living may have been caused by numerous members of the opposite gender. That is from personal experience with no certified proof.

Suicides aren't really reported in Canada. They are about 4,000 per year.

But this doesn't count artificial suicide in traffic accidents. Nor does it count indirect suicide by ignoring the healthy living standards set out in various books. ie Diabettes, Obesity, Over drug use, and even extreme stress from anger leading to heart failure.

Society doesn't want to focus on the bad things the society is responsible for. They'd rather point their fingers at other nations and show off what is happening there to make it look like the home country is doing a better job than "the others".

Mental health and physical health and family health is more of a religious matter though and not military photos . net matter I guess.

I see what your saying about suicide stats in the West, but the Japanese culture is such a different animal, even moreso than Korea or China, that it has to be looked at in it's own regard. The West first landed on the shores of Empire of the Sun roughly 150 years ago, and people are still confounded by the Japanese mindset.

[Glock 9mm]

I see what your saying about suicide stats in the West, but the Japanese culture is such a different animal, even moreso than Korea or China, that it has to be looked at in it's own regard. The West first landed on the shores of Empire of the Sun roughly 150 years ago, and people are still confounded by the Japanese mindset.

Well I read Shogun by James Clavell (sorry for murdering the spelling) when I was a teenager and was fascinated. I beg to differ about 150 years, I think it was more like 400 or 500 if not more. But I understand your point.

I'm actually rather fond of the pre WW II method of Japanese honour, class and fuedal system to land-lord and the ultimate-lord of emporer. I'm just a sucker for law and order I guess. Oh I mean GOOD GOVERNMENT.

[mudbunny]

Well I read Shogun by James Clavell (sorry for murdering the spelling) when I was a teenager and was fascinated. I beg to differ about 150 years, I think it was more like 400 or 500 if not more. But I understand your point.

I'm actually rather fond of the pre WW II method of Japanese honour, class and fuedal system to land-lord and the ultimate-lord of emporer. I'm just a sucker for law and order I guess. Oh I mean GOOD GOVERNMENT.

Westerners were probably there even before that but I was thinking about the mid-19th century when the U.S made Japan one of the focuses of their Imperialistic ventures.
It's funny, you study American history and you're like "well, that wasn't too bad" then you study European history and your like "wow, that was a knock on the 'ol brain" and then you try studying Japanese history and fire shoot right out of your ears and your head blows up.
It's fascinating stuff though, but to even try to understand the people you really need to live amongst them and it's like dropping right in the middle of another planet in so many ways.

[Glock 9mm]

Westerners were probably there even before that but I was thinking about the mid-19th century when the U.S made Japan one of the focuses of their Imperialistic ventures.
It's funny, you study American history and you're like "well, that wasn't too bad" then you study European history and your like "wow, that was a knock on the 'ol brain" and then you try studying Japanese history and fire shoot right out of your ears and your head blows up.
It's fascinating stuff though, but to even try to understand the people you really need to live amongst them and it's like dropping right in the middle of another planet in so many ways.

History is a manipulation tool. Growing up we played cops and robbers, cowboys and indians and watched movies were we beat the krauts. Weird thing is yesterday I was reading on the net how Rwanda had 800,000 tutsis killed and France was a key player in the genocide. Yet since Canada is pro-french-speaking our media never told us. And this is recent history.

I don't even recall the UN Security Council taking an active role in the whole thing. But then again I was going through a few wars of my own and wasn't paying much attention to details just the nightly CBC stuff.

I hate to use a cliche but... "if only I'd known the truth back then".

[Glock 9mm]

"wow, that was a knock on the 'ol brain"

As a personal aside I knocked my brain with a piece of rebar today and saw a bright white light for a micro-second. Wasn't as bad as the new olfa knife I bought where I sliced my thumb tip. Plus I work mud like a bunny with my bobcat. small world eh?

[Loke-Gao-Zhu]

there are many "suicide discussion boards" in Japanese websites, Mount Fuji is always the #1 spot for Japanese teenagers

[Loke-Gao-Zhu]

there are many "suicide discussion boards" in Japanese websites, Mount Fuji is always the #1 spot for Japanese teenagers

[HrvatskaZoijak]

While cleaning a shower in the barracks, a buddy of mine mixed two cleaning chemicals thinking that two were better than one. I had just read the label that said the two should specifically NEVER be mixed together, and the second they mixed we had to run out of there.
According to an episode of "King of the Hill" that I watched years later, in which one of the characters does the exact same thing, my buddy had inadvertently created chlorine gas (http://firstaid.about.com/od/hazardousmaterials/ht/bleachgas.htm).

Your friend is lucky, that gas would have turned into HCL when the chlorine gasses entered his lungs and mixed with water particles, in effect melting his lungs.

[HrvatskaZoijak]

I put a ton of bleach on a nasty floor to clean it good mixed with some ajax. It was funny till I started choking, eyes burning, couldn't keep them open, could barely breath, took a pair of underwear, soaked them, tied them around my head/mouth, dumped water on my eyes, held my breath and worked the area till I cleaned it up. I was choking so hard I wanted to puke. Nightmare. Some things I've done in the past were stupid in a "haha" funny way. This was not one of them.

I have to admit I laughed when I read this but my own experience curtailed my giggle.


What type of "Ajax" did you use? The Liquid or powder form?

[mudbunny]

History is a manipulation tool. Growing up we played cops and robbers, cowboys and indians and watched movies were we beat the krauts. Weird thing is yesterday I was reading on the net how Rwanda had 800,000 tutsis killed and France was a key player in the genocide. Yet since Canada is pro-french-speaking our media never told us. And this is recent history.

I don't even recall the UN Security Council taking an active role in the whole thing. But then again I was going through a few wars of my own and wasn't paying much attention to details just the nightly CBC stuff.

I hate to use a cliche but... "if only I'd known the truth back then".

As for Rwanda, the English and French had divided up Rwanda with total disregard to tribal implications and when they both left Rwanda they basically just threw the country back together and all of a sudden the tribes which had been seperated by a river were no longer seperated and living right next to each other which was a problem.
And if you can read (history books) then you can always trump those who attempt to pull the wool over your eyes.
The Rwanda debacle is something that needs to be studied because at some point, the U.S/Canada/England is going to pull out of Iraq, and you might just see these same problems arise 40 or 50 years down the road.

[Calanen]

Yeah, what gives with Japans suicide rate? Is it just cultural, or is there more going on?

Culture. Failure is very shameful, and the way to atone for failure is to commit suicide.

[KEEPER0311]

You know the ones where guys mix some cleaning chemicals in a bathtub they get killed and the whole building gets intoxicated too... I don't know the chemistry, but I bet its all over Internet for the bad guys to find if they can't invent it themselves.... MY worry is the bad guys even if can't kill anyone with it can make a serious panic deploying this **** in a crowdy place... I'm just curious when that happens...

No to hard to make Mustard Gas, some Chlorine, and Ammonia...and bam...if the terrorist have anyone who has taken even Middle School chemistry, and excess to house hold cleaners they're in business.

[HrvatskaZoijak]

No to hard to make Mustard Gas, some Chlorine, and Ammonia...and bam...if the terrorist have anyone who has taken even Middle School chemistry, and excess to house hold cleaners they're in business.

You can't make Mustard gas with only chlorine and Ammonia, that is chlorine gas. To obtain mustard gas you need Sulphur present in the mix to have the skin burning, smoke choking yellow gas you refer to as mustard gas.

[usa320]

idiots at my work have mixed **** like that before just for fun.

[HrvatskaZoijak]

idiots at my work have mixed **** like that before just for fun.

Depending on the quantity mixed would be the real "threat" in little amounts it will do little to no damage at all.

[Herrmannek]

Again... This times with pesticide being also military related irritating gas.




Terrible Twist in Japan Suicide Spates
Suicidal Man's Toxic Vomit Sickens Many in Japanese Hospital
By NORIKO NAMIKI
TOKYO, May 22, 2008

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Japan's recent series of suicides took a new twist today.

A 34-year-old farmer trying to kill himself by drinking pesticide was rushed to a hospital in southern Japan, Wednesday night, where workers feverishly pumped his stomach in an attempt to save his life.
Toxic suicide
People who were sickened by toxic fumes released by a Japanese farmer who committed suicide by... Expand
People who were sickened by toxic fumes released by a Japanese farmer who committed suicide by drinking pesticide are treated at the Red Cross Kumamoto Hospital in Kumamoto, southern Japan, Thursday, May 22, 2008. A total of 54 doctors, nurses and patients developed breathing problems and 10 of them were hospitalized themselves after the 34-year-old man threw up when doctors were trying to pump his stomach, spraying his rescuers with chloropicrin, before his death. Collapse
(Kyodo News/AP Photo)

But the man threw up inside the hospital, releasing toxic fumes that sickened more than 50 people, including doctors, patients and hospital workers.

The man later died.

At least 90 hospital personnel had to be called in to help with the emergency, said Tomoko Nagao, spokeswoman for the Red Cross Kumamoto Hospital in southern Japan.

The man's toxic vomit contained chloropicrin, officials say, a highly volatile pesticide with a pungent odor that can cause breathing difficulties and sometimes death when inhaled in large amounts.

Seishi Takamura, a doctor who treated the farmer, said he could not stop coughing after inhaling the fumes, which smelled like chlorine, Kyodo News agency reported.

Gas Suicides Spreading

A different kind of toxic gas suicide has made headlines recently across the country. More than 130 people have killed themselves by mixing store-bought detergent and chemicals.

The volunteer staff at the Suicide Prevention Center in Tokyo spent this year's "golden week" holidays in early May taking many calls from those who wanted to kill themselves.

"We set up a special hot line during golden week this year," said Yuzou Kato, the director of the center, referring to the popular annual bash of four national holidays packed into a single week. "We wanted to put a stop to the increasing number of gas suicides, which have been spreading all over Japan."
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The Japanese epidemic of suicides has become particularly lethal in the last year with the introduction of a new method: mixing store-bought detergents and chemicals to create toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. The gas almost always kills and sometimes the victims of the poisonous fumes are passers-by or rescue personnel.

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 145 such suicide cases have been reported in the last few months, killing 136 and injuring 188 others. Kato said many callers had started to talk about this gas method in the last year.

"This is fairly a new method of suicide, and people seem to learn about it through the Internet," Kato said. "What is scary about this type of suicide is the powerful gas fumes can easily kill passers-by and rescuers. As they try to kill themselves with this type of gas, they can easily kill innocent people."

Early this month in northern Japan, about 350 neighbors had to seek shelter at a nearby school playground as a 24-year-old man mixed the concoction in his house and killed himself. The man died and his mother, who tried to help him, inhaled the gas and became unconscious.

Last month, the Peninsula Tokyo hotel had to evacuate guests from a few floors as one of their guests attempted suicide by generating hydrogen sulfide in his hotel room.

Firefighters who tried to rescue the man found a few bottles of detergent and chemicals -- all of which can be purchased at stores. The man also left a note on a chair in his room warning of the toxic gas in his room.
follow the link for the rest of the article

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4908320&page=1