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WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congresswoman Lori Trahan’s (D-MA-03) Youth Poisoning Protection Act, bipartisan legislation that would ban the consumer sale of products containing high concentrations of sodium nitrite, a meat-curing chemical that can be lethal when ingested. The legislation was introduced earlier this year alongside Congressmen Joe Neguse (D-CO-02) and Mike Carey (R-OH-15) as well as U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Curtis (R-UT), and Bernie Moreno (R-OH). 

“Most Americans have never heard of Sodium Nitrite, but for families who've lost loved ones, it’s something they’ll never forget,” Congresswoman Trahan said. “The Youth Poisoning Protection Act would restrict sales of Sodium Nitrite above 10 percent concentration to businesses with verified industrial or commercial use.”

CLICK HERE or the image below to view Trahan’s speech during the House’s consideration of the legislation. A transcript is embedded below.

A 2021 New York Times investigation into an online suicide forum found that sodium nitrite was being popularized and encouraged as an easily accessible method to die by suicide. The forum, which is disguised as a safe place to discuss suicidal ideation, hosts threads where anonymous users provide detailed instructions and real-time guidance on how to die by suicide using sodium nitrite. A 2021 toxicology publication based on data from the National Poison Data System (NPDS), one of the data sources used by the CDC, points to a rise in self-poisonings using sodium nitrite in the United States since 2017.

There is no known recreational use for highly concentrated amounts of sodium nitrite, but at the time of the Times’ investigation, highly concentrated amounts of the poison were widely available on multiple e-commerce platforms, including with free two-day shipping on Amazon. Following outcry from lawmakers and victims’ families, Amazon and a number of other online marketplaces began removing sodium nitrite listings. In May 2023, a Canadian citizen was arrested and charged for shipping packages containing lethal amounts of sodium nitrite to over 40 countries, including 272 sales to individuals in the United Kingdom, of whom at least 88 people died.

The Youth Poisoning Protection Act bans the sale of consumer products with a concentration of sodium nitrite greater than 10 percent. The bipartisan legislation passed in the House with overwhelming bipartisan support last May.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, feeling at risk of suicide, or experiencing a state of distress, it is crucial to find help immediately. There are many resources available, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline which provides free, confidential support 24/7, and the Crisis Text Line which offers free crisis counseling 24/7. Dial 988 or text HOME to 741741 to connect with these services.

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Congresswoman Lori Trahan

Remarks As Delivered

Floor Speech on The Youth Poisoning Protection Act

April 28, 2025

I thank the gentleman for yielding as well as his leadership and Chair Bilirakis on this important issue.

Mr. Speaker, I introduced the Youth Poisoning Protection Act alongside Representative Mike Carey because we are facing an urgent and deeply troubling trend: The promotion of Sodium Nitrite, a toxic chemical, as a method to die by suicide.

In 2022, the New York Times revealed the existence of online suicide forums that don’t just discuss suicide – they promote it. Anonymous users on these platforms encourage vulnerable children and young adults to end their lives, and they often suggest using this chemical to do it.

Now, most Americans have never heard of Sodium Nitrite, but for families who've lost loved ones, it’s something they’ll never forget. In lower concentrations, it’s a chemical used safely to cure meats and fish, but in higher concentrations, it’s deadly. And for the few who have survived attempts to end their lives using Sodium Nitrite, they report agonizing pain as the chemical deprives their body of oxygen.

After learning how easy it is to purchase high-concentration Sodium Nitrite, my office worked with retailers to limit access to businesses with a proven use for the chemical, but some sites still openly market it as part of so-called “suicide kits” to people in crisis. There is no federal law that allows us to stop this.

That’s where this bipartisan legislation comes in. The Youth Poisoning Protection Act would restrict sales of Sodium Nitrite above 10 percent concentration to businesses with verified industrial or commercial use. That threshold is based on expert recommendations for safe handling and won’t interfere with legitimate industries like food processing.

This bill is focused and reasonable. It targets bad actors who are exploiting a loophole to profit off tragedy, and it does so without burdening responsible businesses.

That’s why, last Congress, this bill passed the Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously before passing it here on the floor with overwhelming support. Now, we must finish the job. I urge my colleagues to support the Youth Poisoning Protection Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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