Poor guy, it's clear that the people running that business had no idea that chemicals like SN can be dangerous and used for such purposes until it was too late, but will likely take blame for it and be harassed during retirement regardless due to media attention/outcry. At least they slapped the hotline number on the site posthumously?
This makes absolutely no sense to me, as there are so many chemicals and items out there with potential for harm, that also happen to have various use cases and purposes, and you never really know for sure why someone buys a particular product.
Should we prosecute Tesco workers for selling customers bleach products, knowing that those items can be harmful if misused? What about razorblades? Is it the shop's fault if a consumer willingly buys an otherwise innocuous item to harm themselves, without the seller having any knowledge of that intent?
The number of people researching or using such obscure methods is a drop in the bucket compared to the total number of suicides in the world, and the site admin proved this in multiple posts she's made on the subject. I doubt many people would even know about SN if the journalists and youtubers weren't broadcasting it all over the place, I certainly wouldn't have learned about it or that this site existed after the subreddit had closed, without the assistance of these articles!
Also calling the site "dreadful", this site is my help and my support. I've been suicidal for over 12 years and this is the only place where I can speak my mind, no one has ever goaded me into doing anything and respects the decisions I make for myself. In fact, many times when I have insisted that I want to ctb people here still tried to talk me out of it or offer suggestions in good faith, the exact opposite of what the fake news always claims.
Overwhelmingly, I believe this forum is full of good people, and if something doesn't sit right, people do call others out if something leans to the extreme. Not to mention, we are all adults, and can think for our damn selves. What I read on a website is not what influences me to make important decisions about my life, or lack thereof, and the majority of the population is not so gullible either.
It's an individual's personal responsibility to think critically about the content they consume, and to determine whether or not that's having a negative effect on them. We all make the choice to use the internet, which runs the risk of exposing people to various beliefs, information, etc that could be harmful, but it's on us to decide what we want to view and engage with, and reflect on how it may influence our lives. Banning access to information is something I vehemently disagree with, because how can one come to an informed conclusion about any matter when so much is obscufated?
Professionals and people I've encountered in the real world don't know what to do with my situation, it's too complicated. In my own personal situation, I felt hurt by what others considered "help." You won't see that view being permitted anywhere else, because on most of the internet (and the real world) people like me are hidden away and forced into silence because our experiences are uncomfortable for others to be aware of, and reflect deep failings of various institutions that are fraying at the very seams.
There is no other place where I can voice sentiments like this. If the real causes of suicidality were addressed, this site would never exist in the first place.
