Earlier this month, SGB attorney Kaitlin Cherf testified in Olympia in front members of the Washington State House of Representatives Consumer Protection and Business committee, urging support of House Bill 1209, which aims to regulate the sale of a deadly chemical, sodium nitrite, that’s been linked to dozens of deaths among teens and youth.

Kaitlin testified alongside SGB client Michelle Stickley, who lost her son, Tyler Schmidt, in 2020 after he purchased the chemical on Amazon.com. Together they are bringing a lawsuit against Amazon for its negligence in selling high-concentration sodium nitrite—a chemical infamously known for being utilized in death by suicide, with no ordinary household use—to minors, which resulted in Tyler's death. Despite Amazon’s knowledge of the dangerous nature and effects of the chemical, it continued to sell the product until as recently as 2022, according to the suit.

In Michelle’s testimony, she referenced protecting children from dangers unknown to parents. “At the time of Tyler’s death, Amazon was a well-established company with vast resources to ensure the safety of its products. Yet despite warnings from grieving parents and even congressional escalations as late as 2022, sodium nitrite remained available without restriction,” she said.

“This preventable tragedy makes one thing clear – companies like Amazon must be held accountable and stronger consumer protections are desperately needed to safeguard our children. As parents, we do everything we can to protect our children, but how could I protect Tyler from something I didn’t even know was a danger?” she questioned.

Since that testimony, progress on this critical legislation has continued. Last week, Kaitlin and Michelle testified before the Senate Business, Financial Services & Trade Committee, where the Senate version of the bill (SB 5178) later passed out of the committee.

Additionally, just yesterday, the House version (HB 1209) was pulled from the Rules Committee, and today, it officially passed on the House floor. This marks a significant step forward in ensuring stronger consumer protections against this deadly substance.

Join Kaitlin in supporting Senate Bill 5178 and House Bill 1209 as they move forward. Stronger consumer protections are needed to protect families from this deadly substance and prevent unnecessary suffering. Passing this important legislation “will save lives,” she said.

Hear the testimonies from Kaitlin and Tyler’s mom, Michelle, here: https://tvw.org/video/house-consumer-protection-business-2025011206/?eventID=2025011206