Kathmandu, Sept. 10 -- A53-years-old laboratory assistant at a reputed hospital in Kathmandu recently bought aluminium phosphide tablets and ingested three of them. He started vomiting immediately, and had to be rushed into emergency.

Because of his poor cardiopulmonary status and low mentation, he was intubated and transferred to the ICU. But that did not save the patient, who died a few hours later. The reason for self-poisoning was later found to be marital discord.

Aluminum phosphide is a pesticide that is widely available across the Subcontinent because farmers use it as a fumigant to protect stored grain from insects and rodents. But increasingly more people are using this lethal inorganic compound for suicide attempts.

Aluminium...