A loophole in UK legislation concerning dangerous substances is being exploited to market lethal doses of specific poisons. Substances normally used for household and business purposes are being misused, and recently, one such substance has been linked to 99 deaths in the UK.
To prevent additional burdens on lawful users and businesses, the Home Office’s Poisons Act permits the legal sale of certain substances and poisons, such as cleaning products and pesticides.
The availability of these substances for legitimate purposes has kept the costs and shipping procedures relatively straightforward for imports into the UK. This ease of access is believed to have facilitated the suspected activities of alleged serial killer Kenneth Law, who allegedly shipped deadly poison into the UK.
Law is accused of providing the poison to vulnerable individuals in the UK who seek to end their lives using poison via online platforms. Although assisting in another person’s suicide is illegal in the UK, the Canadian national is suspected of distributing and delivering lethal quantities of a legal substance to individuals throughout the UK.
Authorities suggest that Kenneth, aged 59, might have dispatched a total of 1,200 packages to people in 40 different countries. He is currently facing 14 murder charges in Ontario and is in custody awaiting trial scheduled for January next year.
David Parfett, whose 22-year-old son Tom died after purchasing and consuming the poison online, expressed how easily he could obtain the substance himself. He mentioned, “I know from my own personal experience having ordered it three times now that it still gets through to people.”
David recounted how he effortlessly acquired the substance from a UK seller, expressing his distress upon receiving a package containing the poison, similar to what his son had done.
Similarly, Pete Aitken’s daughter Hannah, aged 22, also passed away after ingesting poison she bought from a seller in Malaysia. During Hannah’s inquest in November 2024, Assistant Coroner for Surrey, Anna Loxton, raised concerns about the escalating use of the poison for self-harm.
In the report on preventing future deaths related to Hannah Aitken, Loxton emphasized that the quantities and purity at which the poison is sold do not align with legitimate uses. Pete is now urging the Government to address this issue urgently, stating that action is imperative.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) is actively investigating the poison, and Law is awaiting trial in Canada for first-degree murder and aiding suicide. Despite ongoing investigations, reports indicate that other sellers continue to distribute the substance. The sale and importation of the poison in the UK remain legal under The Poisons Act 1972.
The delay in government action is stark when compared to the swift ban imposed on another previously lawful yet frequently misused substance, mephedrone. Mephedrone, also known as “meow meow,” was swiftly banned and reclassified as a Class B drug in 2010 after being linked to 25 deaths in England and Scotland.
As highlighted by The Guardian, mephedrone was easily accessible online, marketed as “plant food,” with disclaimers stating it was not for human consumption.
In response to the recent deaths attributed to poison, a government representative emphasized their commitment to safeguarding communities from harmful substances, with Border Force intensifying efforts to intercept them at the border. They mentioned that recent amendments to the Poisons Act have bolstered controls and enhanced the reporting of suspicious activities.
The Mirror has sought comments from the Office for Product Safety and Standards, the Department for Business & Trade, and National Trading Standards on this matter.
The Molly Rose Foundation, comprising three bereaved families and a survivor affected by the poison, is advocating for reclassifying the poison to restrict sales to UK residents and to implement improved digital safety measures to block access to pro-suicide sites and similar forums.
