Congressional candidate Alison Hayden is calling for an investigation into the sale of alleged suicide kits on Amazon that has led to the death of at least two teenagers.
“There may and likely should be, if there isn't already, laws against that and also protocols for judges on how they handle something like that,” she said.
Heyden, who campaigned for election to the 14th Congressional District, was reacting to a lawsuit filed in Alameda Superior Court against Amazon alleging product liability, negligence, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
“Somebody has to go to jail,” Hayden told the Southern California Record. “They're responsible. You would think they'd have to have some culpability for what they're distributing. Certainly, they'd be a big piece of it.”
Kristine Jónsson, 16, of Ohio, and Ethan McCarthy, 17, of West Virginia purchased high levels of the food preservative sodium nitrite and used it to commit suicide, according to the Sept. 29 complaint.
“Amazon has no method of age verification to set up an account and even if it did, does not hesitate to sell Sodium Nitrite to households or to children,” wrote attorney Hannah Meropol in the lawsuit. “Amazon knows it sells Sodium Nitrite to households that have no history of purchasing potent industrial chemicals. Amazon and Loudwolf know there are zero household uses for Sodium Nitrite.”
Jónsson and McCarthy’s parents also named Loudwolf, an Alameda County manufacturer that sells industrial chemicals, as a defendant. They seek a judgment of liability against Amazon and Loudwolf as well as an award of economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.
“Along with Sodium Nitrite, Amazon recommends that customers also purchase a small scale to measure the right dose, Tagamet to prevent vomiting up the liquid, and the “Amazon edition” of the Peaceful Pill Handbook which contains a chapter with instructions on how to administer these ingredients together to die,” the complaint states.
Parents and regulators allegedly warned Amazon that Sodium Nitrite has no household use but Amazon continued to sell it to households for some $20 with two-day delivery.
“That rather lands it in Amazon’s lap,” Hayden added. “A suicide kit is an invitation to kill yourself and at such an impressionable age.”
Currently, Hayden is holding 33.4% of the vote to incumbent Democrat Eric Swalwell's 66.6%, according to the Secretary of State website.