The challenge
Sri Lanka's suicide rate had risen eightfold since 1950, and self-poisoning with highly toxic farm pesticides was a common method.
The case
Between 1950 and 1995 Sri Lanka's suicide rate rose eightfold, to a peak of 47 per 100,000. The government restricted imports and sales of the most toxic (WHO Class I) pesticides in 1995 and of endosulfan in 1998. By 2005 the suicide rate had halved, with 19,769 fewer suicides in 1996–2005 than in 1986–95. Trends in unemployment, alcohol misuse, divorce and the civil war didn't explain the fall. Sri Lanka then phased out dimethoate and fenthion in 2008–2010 and paraquat in 2009–2011. In 2011–15, pesticide suicides were 50% lower, falling from 8.5 to 4.2 per 100,000, and overall suicide mortality was 21% lower, with only a small rise in other methods.
Why it worked
Taking the deadliest pesticides off the market cut suicides overall, with only a small rise in other methods. The researchers say national and international limits on the most toxic pesticides could have a major impact on suicides across Asia.
Sources
- Gunnell, D., Fernando, R., Hewagama, M., et al. (2007). The impact of pesticide regulations on suicide in Sri Lanka. International Journal of Epidemiology, 36(6), 1235–1242.
- Knipe, D. W., Chang, S.-S., Dawson, A., et al. (2017). Suicide prevention through means restriction: Impact of the 2008–2011 pesticide restrictions on suicide in Sri Lanka. PLoS ONE, 12(3), e0172893.
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