Bloomfield Suicide Fits Disturbing Trend

[skytrekker]

Sunday night or early Monday, a middle-aged woman parked her car in a secluded spot in Bloomfield, affixed signs to a window warning of poison gas, then breathed in hydrogen sulfide gas produced by a cocktail of common household chemicals in what appears to be Connecticut's first instance of "chemical suicide."

The woman lost consciousness and died. Her body was discovered Monday morning by a Bloomfield police officer after a passing railroad crew called police. Her death was ruled a suicide.

In the days since, emergency responders have been quietly warning each other about the hazards of dealing with such a suicide. First responders who fail to take proper precautions can quickly become victims themselves.

Hydrogen sulfide gas is highly toxic and can cause people without proper protective gear to lose consciousness and die. The gas's rotten egg odor also deadens the sense of smell, increasing the risk of poisoning.

"We have not seen this before locally, but there's a trend out there," said West Hartford Police Chief James Strillacci.

That trend began in Japan, where the practice has claimed more than 1,000 lives. Chemical suicide, also known as "detergent suicide," began to show up in the U.S. in mid-2008, first in California. It has gradually crept east.

SEE Bloomfield Suicide Fits Disturbing Trend - Courant.com

[doglover]

How scary Sky. With today's economic woes and world wide negativity, it is not surprising that suicide is on the rise.

[skytrekker]

S

this is tragic for sure-- the 'method' of this lady's suicide as the article said is a growing problem--and it is sure bizarre.