Amazon sued by parents for selling suicide kits to teens.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

NPR reported on October 9 that the parents of Kristine Jónsson (16) of Ohio and the parents of Ethan McCarthy (17) of West Virginia say that Amazon assisted the suicide deaths of their teenagers.

According to an article by Joe Hernandez for NPR News:

The complaint filed in California state court in September claims Amazon recommended that customers who purchased the chemical also buy a scale to measure the correct dose, an anti-vomiting drug and Amazon's edition of a handbook on assisted suicide.

"Amazon is selling a product that is as deadly as cyanide," Carrie Goldberg and Naomi Leeds, two attorneys for the families from the firm C.A. Goldberg, PLLC, said in a statement.

A previous complaint filed in Washington state earlier this year by the same law firm alleged that Amazon sold the drug to two other people — 27-year-old Mikael Scott and 17-year-old Tyler Muhleman — who also used it to kill themselves.

The article explains that Amazon sold the teenagers the suicide powder with the peaceful pill handbook that is written by Philip Nitschke and explains how to ingest the substance for suicide.

This is not a new concern. According to Hernandez, on February 4, 2022 the New York Times reported that a bipartison group of members of the House sent a letter to Amazon concerning the sale of the suicide powder. At that time the New York Times had estimated that at least 10 people had died from the suicide powder from Amazon in the previous two years.

On February 21, 2022 a Netherlands man was arrested for selling a suicide powder that resulted in at least 4 deaths. He may have sold the suicide powder to at least 500 people.

If you are experiencing suicidal feelings call: 1.833.456.4566