A newly published analysis highlights the urgent need to address inconsistencies in tackling the commercial drivers of suicide.
*Warning: this article discusses methods of suicide. If you have questions on self-harm or feel suicidal, use this link to find an international helpline – www.findahelpline.com*
The article, published in PLOS Global Public Health, explores how some products associated with fatal self-harm are regulated to prevent deaths. This includes the placement of railings and barriers to prevent jumping, and regulation on the sale of certain pharmaceuticals.
However, other products associated with suicide, such as firearms, pesticides, opioids, gambling, and alcohol remain widely available and promoted. These products are often portrayed as ‘safe’, when used appropriately. When harm occurs, the blame is shifted onto the people who use the product, who are framed as ‘pesticides misusers’, ‘opioid abusers’ or ‘problem gamblers’.
Blaming people, not the product
The authors examine how gambling and alcohol use are actively promoted in many countries with sophisticated marketing strategies, while the public is blamed for misuse.
In the case of the opioid crisis in the United States, the industries producing the prescription opiod drugs downplayed addiction risk and emphasised people’s abuse of these drugs as the problem.
More people die from firearms in the United States than all other self-harm methods combined, but the firearms industry lobbies for widespread access, and mental health is blamed for self-harm.
Finally, pesticide poisoning is one of the most common methods of suicide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Despite strong evidence that pesticide bans save lives without damaging agricultural productivity, pesticide manufacturers claim that their products are necessary for crop production and are safe if used correctly.
Calls for a consistent approach
The authors argue that these different approaches are undermining effective suicide prevention globally.
They claim that downstream approaches that do not address product design, accessibility and marketing favour the commercial actors that make and profit from the sale of these products. This creates a paradoxical situation in which people are expected to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, while living in unsafe environments.
The authors argue that a coherent approach is needed to address all drivers of fatal self-harm. They also call for a rejection of the idea that inherently harmful products are “safe if used correctly”, which frames people as the problem.
Lead author Dr May van Schalkwyk, Research Fellow at the Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention and the Global Health Policy Unit at the University of Edinburgh, said:
“Many products are known to be associated with suicide but the way that they are regulated varies. For example, to save lives, barriers are erected, and restrictions are placed on the sale of pharmaceuticals. But when it comes to some commercial products including gambling, alcohol, pesticides, opioids and firearms, a different approach is taken. People, rather than products, are presented as the problem, and industries are encouraged to ‘self-regulate’ rather than being subjected to effective restrictions on product design, marketing and availability. Our article explores this variation and suggests that a more consistent approach could save lives.”
Co-author Dr Duleeka Knipe, Associate Professor in Global Mental Health, said:
“Suicidal or self-harm behaviour is often driven by the interaction of several factors, some of which operate at an individual level, whereas others are at a population level. In the field of suicide prevention, we have historically overlooked the importance of commercial drivers for suicide. Whilst there is an increasing awareness of the significance of commercial influences, there still needs to be more attention given to this within the field. We have chosen to highlight certain industries within this article but there are others, such as social media, which we have not been covered.”
The full article is published in PLOS Global Public Health.
Further reading
How the pesticide industry influences science and policy and why it matters for public health
Applying a commercial determinants perspective to suicide and self-harm prevention
What role do commercial interests play in suicide prevention?