Carbon Monoxide Poisoning as a New Method of Suicide in Hong Kong

Chung, Wai Sau; Leung, C. M.

doi:10.1176/appi.ps.52.6.836

Cited by 55 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…All these affirmed that awareness of certain methods and the so-called copy-cat or imitation effects play as important determinants for how to commit a suicide, which had also been supported by other researches claiming that media reports of new suicide methods would cause increase of suicide cases by such new methods [7], [21]. Although there is still no instruments to precisely evaluate the influence of factors such as availability and social-cultural acceptability of certain methods, former studies [7], [51], [52] found evidence supporting such hypothesis as publicity of suicide methods and traditional view of deaths would affect the choice of committing suicide.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

Completed Suicide with Violent and Non-Violent Methods in Rural Shandong, China: A Psychological Autopsy Study

Sun

Jia

2014

PLoS ONE

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BackgroundThis study aims to describe the specific characteristics of completed suicides by violent methods and non-violent methods in rural Chinese population, and to explore the related factors for corresponding methods.MethodsData of this study came from investigation of 199 completed suicide cases and their paired controls of rural areas in three different counties in Shandong, China, by interviewing one informant of each subject using the method of Psychological Autopsy (PA).ResultsThere were 78 (39.2%) suicides with violent methods and 121 (60.8%) suicides with non-violent methods. Ingesting pesticides, as a non-violent method, appeared to be the most common suicide method (103, 51.8%). Hanging (73 cases, 36.7%) and drowning (5 cases, 2.5%) were the only violent methods observed. Storage of pesticides at home and higher suicide intent score were significantly associated with choice of violent methods while committing suicide. Risk factors related to suicide death included negative life events and hopelessness.ConclusionsSuicide with violent methods has different factors from suicide with non-violent methods. Suicide methods should be considered in suicide prevention and intervention strategies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

Completed Suicide with Violent and Non-Violent Methods in Rural Shandong, China: A Psychological Autopsy Study

Sun

Jia

2014

PLoS ONE

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“…The majority of the unintentional deaths due to poisoning were related to carbon monoxide in our region. In recent years, carbon monoxide poisoning was reported as a new method of suicide in Hong Kong by intentional burning charcoal in a confined space (22). It was also reported that the most common method of suicide with CO was by motor vehicle exhaust gases (23,24).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fatal Poisonings in the South Marmara Region of Turkey

Fedakar

Türkmen

2008

ELECTRON J GEN MED

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Aim:The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of medico-legal autopsies of fatal poisonings in the south Marmara region, Turkey, in the period of 1996-2003, in order to provide further data for the characterisation of fatal poisonings, because there is a scarcity of such information from Turkey.Methods: Of the 4242 autopsied cases, 415 (9.8%) deaths due to poisonings were examined; 26.8% females and 73.2% males. The mean age was 40.1±19.2 years old (range 0-88).Results: The three most common types of poison were carbon monoxide (43.5%), insecticides (24.6%), and alcohol (18.4%). The most frequent unnatural manner of death was accidents (67.5%), followed by suicidal (27.5%) deaths. Insecticides were the cause in 71.9% of suicidal poisonings, whereas the cause was carbon monoxide in 63.2%, and alcohol in %27.1% of the unintentional poisonings. The deaths due to carbon monoxide were associated with coal stoves (48.3%), water heaters in bath (31.1%), and fires (17.8%). Organophosphorus insecticides were responsible for 91.1% of total insecticide poisonings. 73.7% of the alcohol poisonings were observed in years [2000][2001][2002], and of the methyl alcohol poisoning, 35.9% and 29.7% were seen in years 2001 and 2002, respectively. Therapeutic drugs were encountered most frequently (75%).Conclusion: In conclusion, in fatal poisoning cases who have undergone medico-legal autopsy in Bursa and province, CO is of great ratio.

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“…19 Prior studies suggest the way the method was portrayed in the mass media played a key role in its rapid gain of popularity. [20][21][22][23] Those who committed suicide by charcoal burning in Hong Kong were found more likely to be middleaged, economically active, and without pre-existing mental illness. 21 Subsequently, suicides by charcoal burning have been reported in predominantly Chinese communities in Taiwan and Macau, 24 and there have also been cases reported in Southern China, Canada, the USA and Japan.…”

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confidence: 99%

Charcoal burning suicides in Hong Kong and urban Taiwan: an illustration of the impact of a novel suicide method on overall regional rates

Liu

Beautrais²,

Caine

et al. 2007

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health

154

120

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Objectives: Following the first case in Hong Kong in 1998, the method of committing suicide by charcoal burning has spread to other communities. This aim of this study was to examine the impact of charcoal burning suicides on both overall suicide rates and older-method suicide rates in Hong Kong and urban Taiwan. Design: Trend analysis of the overall and method-specific suicide rates between 1997 and 2002. Comparison of age and gender profiles of those who committed suicide by charcoal burning and other methods of suicide. Setting: Hong Kong and Urban Taiwan. Main results: Suicides by charcoal burning increased rapidly within five years in both Hong Kong and urban Taiwan. This increase was not paralleled by decreases in suicides by older methods and led to an increase of more than 20% in the overall suicide rates. Those in the 24-39 age range were more likely to choose charcoal burning than other methods. Conclusions: The lack of parallel decreases in the suicides rates of older methods with the rise of charcoal burning suicides suggests limited substitution between the methods. The preponderance of the rise in suicide deaths associated with charcoal burning suggests that its invention, followed by wide media dissemination, may have specifically contributed to the increase in suicides in both regions. As a similar increase was found in urban Taiwan as in Hong Kong, charcoal burning suicide should not be viewed as merely a local health problem and has the potential to become a major public health threat in other countries. 1 To prevent such tragic deaths, restriction of lethal means and responsible media reporting have been proposed to be two important measures.2 The well-known findings of decreased suicide rates after the detoxification of domestic gas in the UK 3 and the reduction of subway suicides and suicide attempts after the change in media reporting in Vienna 4 have demonstrated the effectiveness of these two prevention strategies.Although existing studies 3 5 6-10 on method availability and suicide provide valuable information on prevention strategies, they have primarily focused on the effect on suicide rates when a specific method was restricted. It is also crucial, however, to examine the effect on suicide rates when a new method appears, if the emergence of its use can be clearly demarcated. Existing studies have not defined a clear distinction between the potential effects on suicide rates when a method is restricted (potentially leading to reduced rates or seeking alternative methods for suicide) and when an apparently new method is used by individuals to attempt suicide. The conceptual difference between these two scenarios is potentially significant: means restrictions can limit the range of choices but it should have no apparent impact on the size of the population actively seeking to undertake lethal suicidal acts. The emergence of a new method, however, may increase the size of that population at risk through the high availability and desirability 11 inherent in this new method. The potential ...

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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning as a New Method of Suicide in Hong Kong

Cited by 55 publications

References 2 publications

Completed Suicide with Violent and Non-Violent Methods in Rural Shandong, China: A Psychological Autopsy Study

Completed Suicide with Violent and Non-Violent Methods in Rural Shandong, China: A Psychological Autopsy Study

Fatal Poisonings in the South Marmara Region of Turkey

Charcoal burning suicides in Hong Kong and urban Taiwan: an illustration of the impact of a novel suicide method on overall regional rates

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