Overview

• The substance, marketed as a food preservative, is classified as both a reportable poison and an explosives precursor.
• Eight people in Greater Manchester died after ingesting the chemical they bought online in separate incidents between 2019 and 2023.
• Police identified 247 purchases of small quantities in one year and traced 85 individuals in the UK and Europe who either died or intended to use it for suicide.
• Vendors in the UK, Lithuania and Russia reported no awareness that their products were being misused for self-harm.
• The report instructs the Home Office to introduce specific seller training and tighten reporting requirements within 56 days.