30/08/2012
Support For Online Suicide To Be Banned
SDLP South Down MP Margaret Ritchie has voiced her support for constituent Patti Boyle's campaign to have websites offering advice on how to commit suicide and selling suicide packs outlawed.
Her 26 year old son, Kevin, committed suicide last autumn using a so called suicide kit that he purchased on the internet. Kevin paid £45 for the kit from a website selling death as "Deliverance".
Mrs Boyle is walking from Burren to Westminster where she will petition members of Parliament to support her campaign Families Acting Against Suicide Today (FAST).
Margaret Ritchie MP, who signed the petition, said: "This is a very brave and admirable initiative by Patti who has suffered such a deep personal loss with the death of her son Kevin.
"The sale of these suicide kits online is a very worrying development and legislation must be introduced at Westminster to ban it.
"The high incidence of suicide in South Down in recent years – in particular among our young people – is devastating the families and friends of victims and affecting the whole community."
(CD/GK)
Her 26 year old son, Kevin, committed suicide last autumn using a so called suicide kit that he purchased on the internet. Kevin paid £45 for the kit from a website selling death as "Deliverance".
Mrs Boyle is walking from Burren to Westminster where she will petition members of Parliament to support her campaign Families Acting Against Suicide Today (FAST).
Margaret Ritchie MP, who signed the petition, said: "This is a very brave and admirable initiative by Patti who has suffered such a deep personal loss with the death of her son Kevin.
"The sale of these suicide kits online is a very worrying development and legislation must be introduced at Westminster to ban it.
"The high incidence of suicide in South Down in recent years – in particular among our young people – is devastating the families and friends of victims and affecting the whole community."
(CD/GK)
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