The Supreme Court of the State of Washington has given the green light to the families and estates of four individuals who died by suicide by ingesting sodium nitrite to proceed with litigation against Amazon for its sale of the substance on its website.
In its decision to allow the lawsuit to proceed, the Supreme Court stated that as a seller, the e-commerce giant has “a legal duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid the foreseeable consequences and harm of selling sodium nitrite.”
In addition, the High Court noted that Amazon is also required to avoid exposing consumers to any harm from the conduct of a third party.
The plaintiffs alleged that Amazon’s website algorithm routed potential buyers to other products that would assist in suicide, such as scales, a suicide instruction book, and products that would “prevent life-saving vomiting.”
A quick check of the Amazon website shows that sodium nitrite is available in several brands for “curing bacon, sausage, jerky, ham, and corned beef as well as brining and pickling.”
According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, both sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate are forms of salt, or sodium chloride. Both products have been used for thousands of years to preserve meat, and both are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for use in foods.
However, pure nitrite, if consumed in levels of 3 to 5 grams, can be “very dangerous and even cause death because it binds to oxygen in your body stronger than the hemoglobin oxygen binding in your blood, thus not allowing oxygen to reach several important organs.”
The case dates back to April 2020, when a 19-year-old man died after ingesting sodium nitrite purchased from Amazon.
In December 2020, an 18-year-old woman also purchased the product from Amazon and later died from sodium nitrite poisoning. The same month, a 27-year-old male bought the product, along with a scale, and also died after ingesting it. The youngest victim, aged 17, died in May 2021 after consuming the product.
The families of the deceased also claim that Amazon routinely sent email reminders with advertisements for the products.
“Plaintiffs also contend that one-star customer reviews from grieving family members about how the sodium nitrite product was being used for suicide were deleted by Amazon,” the decision states.
In the earlier court cases, Amazon argued that it had “no duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid the harm of its acts because the danger is obvious or known.”
“Whether the act of suicide was a foreseeable consequence, and harm of the act of selling sodium nitrite to the decedents is a question of fact for the jury,” the decision states. “The plaintiffs have stated a claim for product seller negligence under [Washington Product Liability Act].”
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones personally affected by suicide,” an Amazon spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email.
“Customer safety is a top priority at Amazon. We are committed to a safe shopping experience and require our selling partners to follow all applicable laws and regulations when listing items in our store.”
The company spokesperson added that sodium nitrite is a widely available product offered by retailers to preserve foods, such as meats and fish, and for use in laboratories as a reagent.
“High-concentration sodium nitrite is not intended for direct consumption, and unfortunately, like many products, it can be misused,” the spokesperson said.
“To minimize the potential for product misuse, we prohibit the sale of sodium nitrite in concentrations greater than 10 percent. While we disagree with the Court’s ruling, we remain committed to the safety of all our customers.”
Amazon noted that it globally restricted the sale of high-concentration sodium nitrite to Amazon Business buyers on Oct. 20, 2022. As of November 2025, the online retailer halted the sale of sodium nitrite in concentrations greater than 10 percent.
According to Eureka Alert, a science information platform, young people are increasingly relying on sodium nitrite purchased online as a suicide method. The report quotes research presented during the 2025 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition.
That research also indicates that when ingested in large amounts, sodium nitrite may cause hypoxia—a lack of sufficient oxygen—and eventual death.
