Chemical Suicide: A Danger to First Responders Essay -- Social Issues,

As a first responder, police officers can often encounter many different cases where an individual is reported to be unconscious inside a vehicle. Usually upon arrival, the officer will try and make contact with the subject to investigate the situation. Often times, the officer will discover that the person has either a medical condition, is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or just hasn’t gotten enough sleep (Randall, 2011). However, in recent years there has been a growing trend occurring in the United States that is affecting the safety of first responders. In this trend people are releasing chemicals within confined spaces, such as a vehicle, to commit suicide. Chemical suicides are very dangerous to anyone within the vicinity because the fumes are extremely toxic (Oreshan & Stevens, 2011). Individuals that attempt to rescue a suicidal subject could be putting themselves at risk of exposure, which can cause serious injury or death. Being a first responder, it is imp ortant to understand the increasing threat of chemical suicides and how they are typically performed, the warning signs and proper safety procedures to use, and the treatments to this type of chemical exposure. Chemical suicides are believed to have originated in Japan in 2007, and there have been counts of over 2000 cases having occurred within the country since then (Oreshan & Stevens, 2011). Slowly, this method of suicide has been steadily increasing in the United States since 2008, where there has been at least 72 known cases documented (Goode, 2011). Of these cases, 2 of them had taken place in 2008, 9 in 2009, 36 in 2010, and at least 27 cases by the middle of 2011 (Scoville, 2011). While these numbers are only a tiny fraction of the amount of suicid... ... 2010). When treating for hydrogen sulfide exposure, nitrite therapy may be included in order to aid recovery (Oreshan & Stevens, 2011). If exposure to hydrogen cyanide occurred, then the individual should also be given a specific cyanide antidote kit (Oreshan & Stevens, 2011). Overall chemical suicides are a threat that is unfortunately expected to continue rising throughout the United States. It is essential to keep training as well as communicating to first responders about the dangers that they impose. Every first responder needs to be made aware of how these suicides are being performed, as well as the warning signs, proper safety procedures, and what treatments to use if encountered. The more that this information is being circulated, the better chance there is at limiting the injuries and deaths associated with this type of second hand chemical exposure.