Cyanide a regulated hazardous chemical, state agencies assure to ease public concerns
State agencies have assured that cyanide is a regulated substance after public concerns following the high-profile case of a woman who allegedly poisoned to death more than 18 people using the deadly chemical.
Cyanide is classified as a type-3 hazardous substance under the control of the Department of Industrial Works, the department director-general, Julapong Thaveesri, said.
A permit is required to import or be in possession of the chemical. This applies to industries, such as steel, plastics and gold mines, he added.
According to Dr Paisarn Dunkum, secretary-general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which oversees the control of hazardous substance in various products, cyanide comes under the Hazardous Substances Act of 1992.
The Ministry of Public Health oversees the control of foods, drugs, and cosmetics. Cyanide is classified as a type 4 hazardous substance, and its import, possession, and use in food, drugs, and cosmetics is prohibited. Violations can result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years, a fine of up to a million baht, or both, he said.
As for products in the foods, drugs, and cosmetic industries that are under the supervision of the FDA, Dr Paisarn said the FDA conducts regular inspections and confirmed that no cyanide has been found.
According to Julapong, a Cabinet resolution on November 1, 2022, sets the guidelines for controlling the import of sodium cyanide, benzyl chloride, and benzyl cyanide, which are substances used in the production of drugs:
1. The export and import of sodium cyanide and benzyl cyanide will be suspended and delayed in order to improve the method of granting import and export permits. The Department of Industrial Works, Ministry of Industry, is responsible for verifying and granting import/export permits on a case-by-case basis according to actual usage quantities.
2. The Department of Industrial Works will control the use of sodium cyanide, benzyl chloride, and benzyl cyanide according to actual usage quantities, allowing permits on a case-by-case basis for a period not exceeding six months. Importers, exporters, and end-users must register to control the quantity and track the use of these substances.
Thailand does not produce sodium cyanide, hence it must import it from abroad. This substance, when it reacts with benzyl chloride, becomes benzyl cyanide, which is used as a starting material for producing addictive drugs, Julapong said.
According to Associate Professor Dr Wipoo Srisuwan, Dean of the College of Materials Science and Technology, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, people in Thailand can still illegally buy and sell cyanide via unauthorise online websites, even though the purchase of hazardous chemicals must be ordered through authorised registered companies, or authorised institutions which use cyanide for research purposes. Hence, when there is no official regulation over the purchase and sale of cyanide online; anyone can gain access to it without any verification, or declaration of what it will be used for, which is very dangerous, Dr Wipoo said.
