# where can I buy Arsenic ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 22, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-arsenic/369793 "2006-08-22T19:46:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-arsenic/369793/21 "2006-08-27T20:28:04Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > You start the most interesting threads, **Wildfire** MM\*\*… Should we be worried about you? 😉 First he goes spouting off about how he hates conservatives, and now he’s trying to buy arsenic. Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-arsenic/369793/22 "2006-08-29T02:19:45Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > You start the most interesting threads, **Wildfire** MM\*\*… Should we be worried about you? 😉 If **W** MM\*\* is the one buying it, \*he’\*s the last person that we need to worry about! teehee!! 🆒 (my friends call me a regular card) hh ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-arsenic/369793/23 "2006-08-29T18:55:24Z")
> [@Una Persson](#): > > Don’t forget those lead fishing sinkers…(the article also has numbers for the amount of lead from shot too). > > [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mfishsinkers.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mfishsinkers.html) Thanks Una, I missed that article. Very informitive, as usual. Keep 'em coming! ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-arsenic/369793/24 "2006-08-29T19:09:26Z")
> [@Una Persson](#): > > Arsenic as a poison for nefarious purposes is somewhat over-rated. Heh, not if the Discovery Health series Diagnosis Unknown is to believed… seems like every other episode deals with someone being poisoned by his/her spouse, business partner, or what have you, usually using arsenic. :dubious: If the show is to be believed, folks are poisoning spouses with the stuff every day of the week - seriously… I can count at least 3 episodes from memory. Then again, they would _never_ exaggerate the prevalence of that method of spouse disposal, would they? :eek: 😉 Anyway, on that series, it seems like the arsenic often comes from some sort of agricultural stash. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-arsenic/369793/25 "2006-08-29T19:13:40Z")
One of the reasons arsenic is overrated for use for nefarious purposes is that it’s so easy to detect after death. And, of course, the TV shows are going to be biased towards the cases which are recognized as crimes, rather than the ones that look exactly like a natural, died-in-his-sleep heart attack. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-arsenic/369793/26 "2006-08-29T19:51:07Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > [\*\*Legitimate Uses For Arsenic \*\*](http://www.ucc.ie/academic/chem/dolchem/html/elem/elem033.html)I would expect sales to be limited fo licensed manufacturing users. > IIRC Lead shot is no longer made as it was poisonous to wild fowl shot with it and not killed outright. Arsenic is no longer used as a pesticde in US. In fact Chuck Palahniuk mentions in his latest book about how we now slowly torture pests to death with blood thinners instead of killing them outright. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-arsenic/369793/27 "2006-08-29T20:10:02Z")
“Well, there’s four places. There’s the Borgia Bodega, that’s on third. There’s Heavy Metal Mart, that’s on third too. You got Nannie Doss’ House of Toxicants? That’s on third. … Matter of fact, they’re all in the same complex; it’s the Arsenic complex on third.” ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-arsenic/369793/28 "2006-08-30T03:59:12Z")
If you don’t know where to get it, then you probably don’t have any business having it. Arsenic is some bad stuff. Its not the worst stuff, but a bad move could result in serious permanent injury. Fortunately, while your answer has been given, I don’t believe they will sell it to you. Whatever you would like to do with arsenic, I would be surprised if there were not a less nefarious substance that would accomplish what you desire. List your purpose and I would love to contemplate an alternative. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-arsenic/369793.md?page=1)