Safer access to pesticides for suicide prevention: Experiences from community interventions
Overview
Self-ingestion of pesticides remains a widely used means of suicide and one of the most common means of suicide in the world. Many efforts have been made to better understand pesticide suicides and find ways to prevent them; in this regard, the importance of means restriction as part of an overall suicide prevention strategy has been highlighted.
This report summarizes three case studies that explore the feasibility and acceptability of one category of intervention, which is the secure storage of pesticides in rural communities. A comprehensive approach to addressing pesticide poisoning must also consider community engagement and education, pesticide regulation, implementation and enforcement of regulations, improving access to clinical treatment of pesticide poisoning, training and surveillance.