Five deaths in UK linked to tragic ‘suicide kits’ being sent to people's doors
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
An inquest has begun into so-called 'suicide kits' after at least five people have died from taking a substance used in them.
Zara Afua Ampong-Appiah, a young psychologist, took her own life after searching for the substance online, the Mirror reports.
In April 2025, the postgraduate, 30, was found dead in her bed after looking up a US-based pro-choice suicide website 35 times.
Advert
The US-based pro suicide website is blocked in the UK but some users have found a way around it.
Nadia Persaud, area coroner for East London, said: “Zara was found deceased at her home address and police attending found clear signs that life was extinct. The circumstances all suggest that Zara had taken a substance that had caused her death.
“Analysis of her devices showed a number of searches relating to suicide and a post mortem investigation revealed toxicity (relating to the chemical). Therefore the conclusion is that she died as a result of suicide.”
Ampong-Appiah's GP said in a statement that she was suffering with mental health issues and asked for medication for depression and anxiety from February 2023.
Her mother Elly Oppong, from Hackney, east London, said she hadn't mentioned her struggles to family members.
“No parent wants to go through this. There was absolutely no warning, nothing. She had friends and a supportive family and not one of us saw this coming,” the retired cook told the outlet.
“They say the person is over 18 so it’s private. If the person is going through mental health problems, a mother or father should know, maybe that would help? It would have been easier if I knew she was struggling, we could have supported her.”
Her death is one of at least five in the UK linked to suicide kits containing lethal substances ordered from abroad.
Charity worker Jane Colechin, 44, was found dead in her Forest Gate home on 1 January 2025.
A toxicology report found that a deadly chemical was present at 46,860 times higher than in a healthy fasted person.
Det Con Sam Drury, of the Metropolitan Police, said in a statement that the chemical was delivered via Royal Mail to her home.
“I looked through her mobile phone for keywords relating to this (the substance) and found 1,360 instances of them between 1 December 2024 and 1 January 2025. She also went onto a website which provides information relating to suicide and the chemical as well as a Royal Mail tracking service for a parcel with the chemical,” Drury said.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.
Topics: UK News
Anish Vij