Charcoal-burning suicide

Charcoal-burning suicide is a suicide method that first appeared in Hong Kong in 1998. The method became popular and spread to South China, Taiwan, overseas Chinese and Japanese communities.

A person committing suicide burns charcoal in a closed room. The oxygen in the air of the room is gradually exhausted as the charcoal burns. In the meantime, incomplete combustion of carbon produces carbon monoxide which combines with hemoglobin, hindering the delivery of oxygen to the body. The person will die from carbon monoxide poisoning or hypoxia.

In November 1998, a middle-aged woman committed suicide using this method in her bedroom. As this method is not listed in Tsurumi's Complete Manual of Suicide from 1993, she may have invented it herself using her chemical engineering background. Meanwhile, Hong Kong was suffering from an economic depression at the time, and suicide in general was increasing. After the details of this suicide were highly publicised by local mass media, many others attempted and succeeded in committing suicide in this way. Within two months, charcoal-burning had became the third major suicide killer in Hong Kong. Charcoal-burning suicide accounted for 1.7% of Hong Kong suicides in 1998 and 10.1% in 1999. By 2001, it had surpassed hanging as the second most-common method of suicide in Hong Kong (behind only jumping), accounting for about 25% of all suicide deaths. The method then spread to mainland China, Taiwan and Japan.

The method is described as "easy and painless" compared to other suicide methods. Unlike jumping from a high-rise building or cutting with a knife, the suicidal person does not have to overcome their fear. To relieve the possible discomfort of suffocation, one might take drugs or alcohol. Some experts challenge the description of the method as painless, noting that the lack of oxygen can cause choking.

A survivor of this method usually needs intensive care. They may have permanent brain damage.

In order to prevent charcoal burning, the Hong Kong SAR government replaced the traditional countryside charcoal barbecue with an electronic grill. Some non-government organizations worked with charcoal retailers to promote the message of "treasure your life" by putting "seek help" labels on the charcoal bags.