Bethany Langton
PFD Report
Partially Responded
Ref: 2024-0544
548 days overdue · 1 response outstanding
Response Status
Responses
1 of 2
56-Day Deadline
9 Dec 2024
548 days past deadline — 1 response outstanding
About PFD responses
Organisations named in PFD reports must respond within 56 days explaining what actions they are taking.
Source: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
Coroner’s Concerns
1. The continued ease of availability of Sodium Nitrite to members of the public. The substance is lethal when ingested, even in relatively small quantities. It’s use in suicide is increasing. The substance is readily available to purchase online without the need for any explanation of the purchaser’s intended use for the substance, or an end user certificate/licence to track where it is being distributed.
2. Lack of awareness amongst businesses that the substance is being obtained for this purpose. The company who supplied Beth with the sodium nitrite used in her death, had no idea that the substance might be sourced by individuals for this purpose. Had they have been aware of the risk, they would likely have improved systems for investigating the intended use, or would have stopped offering the item for sale to individuals, as they have now done so.
3. Beth used the internet to research how to source and use sodium nitrite to bring about her death. She followed that guidance meticulously. That same guidance was still readily available on the internet at the time of her inquest, although I believe it might now have been removed. What system is in place to ensure that such websites are detected promptly and made unavailable to the public in a timely fashion?
2. Lack of awareness amongst businesses that the substance is being obtained for this purpose. The company who supplied Beth with the sodium nitrite used in her death, had no idea that the substance might be sourced by individuals for this purpose. Had they have been aware of the risk, they would likely have improved systems for investigating the intended use, or would have stopped offering the item for sale to individuals, as they have now done so.
3. Beth used the internet to research how to source and use sodium nitrite to bring about her death. She followed that guidance meticulously. That same guidance was still readily available on the internet at the time of her inquest, although I believe it might now have been removed. What system is in place to ensure that such websites are detected promptly and made unavailable to the public in a timely fashion?
Responses
The DHSC states the government has taken steps to reduce access to Sodium Nitrite, including leading an emerging methods working group and engaging with online platforms and suppliers. It highlights the recently published suicide prevention strategy for England, which includes over 130 actions, and mentions that the Online Safety Act will require removal of illegal suicide content once fully in force.
AI summary
View full response
Dear Miss Bower,
Thank you for the Regulation 28 report of 30 July 2024 sent to the Department of Health and Social Care about the death of Bethany Paige Langton. I am replying as the Minister with responsibility for Patient Safety and Mental Health.
Firstly, I would like to say how saddened I was to read of the circumstances of Bethany’s death and I offer my sincere condolences to her family and loved ones. The circumstances your report describes are very concerning and I am grateful to you for bringing these matters to my attention.
The report raises concerns over the continued ease of availability of the substance to members of the public, lack of awareness amongst businesses that the substance is being obtained for this purpose, and the availability of guidance to use the substance to bring about death.
In preparing this response, my officials have made enquiries with NHS England (NHSE), Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Home Office (HO) to ensure we adequately address your concerns.
The Government has taken steps to reduce access to and awareness of this substance and therefore reduce the risks of further deaths by suicide. The Department of Health and Social Care leads an emerging methods working group to prevent awareness and access to substances such as this one. The working group involves representatives from the voluntary, community and social enterprises sector, police, academics, and the NHS, as well as government departments including the Home Office and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The group ensures rapid targeted actions to collectively reduce public access to emerging methods, including this particular substance. This includes reducing the sale and importation of methods where appropriate as well as reducing references to, and limiting awareness of, them.
The group has worked with business, including online suppliers and manufacturers of the substance, to significantly reduce access. We have also worked with major online suppliers to remove it from sale to individuals in its pure form. We continue to work operationally with our broader partners, including Border Force and the police on interventions to reduce access to this specific substance for the purpose of suicide. These actions are kept under operational review.
I would also like to assure you that the Government has also taken action to address the prevalence of harmful suicide and self-harm content online such as the websites you refer to. For example, as you will be aware, the Online Safety Act, when fully in force, will require all services in scope to rapidly remove regulated content that meets the criminal threshold once they become aware of it. This includes illegal suicide and self-harm content. Under the Act, search services also have targeted duties that require them to minimise the risk of users encountering illegal search content, such as those found on this specific website. There is also a requirement for search services to take or use, where proportionate, user support measures. The regulator now responsible for online safety, Ofcom, will recommend measures that search services can put in place to achieve these objectives. These could include removing results for sites that are known to host illegal suicide and self-harm content, as well as signposting users towards sources of support.
The Act provides Ofcom with a robust suite of enforcement powers, including business disruptions measures and significant fines for use in the case of non-compliance. The Government has also worked with internet service providers, tech companies and social media platforms, as well as expert advisors such as the Samaritans, to tackle harmful pro- suicide forums.
In addition, in September 2023 the multi-sector and cross-government suicide prevention strategy for England was published. The five-year strategy set out over 130 actions aimed at reducing the rates of suicide in England and work continues to implement these actions.
As part of our mission to build an NHS fit for the future, the Government has committed to tackling suicide as one of this country’s biggest killers and recruiting 8,500 new mental health workers who will be specially trained to support people at risk from suicide.
I hope this response is helpful. Thank you for bringing these concerns to my attention.
Thank you for the Regulation 28 report of 30 July 2024 sent to the Department of Health and Social Care about the death of Bethany Paige Langton. I am replying as the Minister with responsibility for Patient Safety and Mental Health.
Firstly, I would like to say how saddened I was to read of the circumstances of Bethany’s death and I offer my sincere condolences to her family and loved ones. The circumstances your report describes are very concerning and I am grateful to you for bringing these matters to my attention.
The report raises concerns over the continued ease of availability of the substance to members of the public, lack of awareness amongst businesses that the substance is being obtained for this purpose, and the availability of guidance to use the substance to bring about death.
In preparing this response, my officials have made enquiries with NHS England (NHSE), Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Home Office (HO) to ensure we adequately address your concerns.
The Government has taken steps to reduce access to and awareness of this substance and therefore reduce the risks of further deaths by suicide. The Department of Health and Social Care leads an emerging methods working group to prevent awareness and access to substances such as this one. The working group involves representatives from the voluntary, community and social enterprises sector, police, academics, and the NHS, as well as government departments including the Home Office and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The group ensures rapid targeted actions to collectively reduce public access to emerging methods, including this particular substance. This includes reducing the sale and importation of methods where appropriate as well as reducing references to, and limiting awareness of, them.
The group has worked with business, including online suppliers and manufacturers of the substance, to significantly reduce access. We have also worked with major online suppliers to remove it from sale to individuals in its pure form. We continue to work operationally with our broader partners, including Border Force and the police on interventions to reduce access to this specific substance for the purpose of suicide. These actions are kept under operational review.
I would also like to assure you that the Government has also taken action to address the prevalence of harmful suicide and self-harm content online such as the websites you refer to. For example, as you will be aware, the Online Safety Act, when fully in force, will require all services in scope to rapidly remove regulated content that meets the criminal threshold once they become aware of it. This includes illegal suicide and self-harm content. Under the Act, search services also have targeted duties that require them to minimise the risk of users encountering illegal search content, such as those found on this specific website. There is also a requirement for search services to take or use, where proportionate, user support measures. The regulator now responsible for online safety, Ofcom, will recommend measures that search services can put in place to achieve these objectives. These could include removing results for sites that are known to host illegal suicide and self-harm content, as well as signposting users towards sources of support.
The Act provides Ofcom with a robust suite of enforcement powers, including business disruptions measures and significant fines for use in the case of non-compliance. The Government has also worked with internet service providers, tech companies and social media platforms, as well as expert advisors such as the Samaritans, to tackle harmful pro- suicide forums.
In addition, in September 2023 the multi-sector and cross-government suicide prevention strategy for England was published. The five-year strategy set out over 130 actions aimed at reducing the rates of suicide in England and work continues to implement these actions.
As part of our mission to build an NHS fit for the future, the Government has committed to tackling suicide as one of this country’s biggest killers and recruiting 8,500 new mental health workers who will be specially trained to support people at risk from suicide.
I hope this response is helpful. Thank you for bringing these concerns to my attention.
Report Sections
Investigation and Inquest
On 11 May 2023, I opened an inquest touching the death of Bethany Paige Langton, aged 22 years. The inquest concluded on 8 July 2024. The conclusion of the inquest was that Beth had died by suicide.
Circumstances of the Death
On 18 February 2023, Bethany Paige Langton was discovered deceased inside her bedroom at Oakwell House, on Church Lane, in Hayton, Retford, Nottinghamshire, having died following the ingestion of sodium nitrite which she had sourced online in January 2023. Beth had used the internet to research how to die using sodium nitrite and followed the advice she had found online. Beth deliberately ingested the substance with the intention of bringing about her death. Beth was vulnerable having been diagnosed with complex mental health diagnoses.
Copies Sent To
**This report is shared with the recipients in unredacted form, but any published version of this report shall be redacted to avoid the risk of becoming a source of information available on the internet about this substance**
Similar PFD Reports
Reports sharing organisations, categories, or themes with this PFD
Related Inquiry Recommendations
Public inquiry recommendations addressing similar themes
Data sourced from Courts and Tribunals Judiciary under the Open Government Licence.