Yanomami commit suicide

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Four Sanuma Indians in northern Brazil have committed suicide since last August. Suicide is virtually unheard of amongst the Sanuma, one of the four groups which make up the Yanomami tribe. Other Sanuma have attempted suicide. The Sanuma used timbó, a strong poison made from a vine and used to kill fish and alligators, to kill themselves. There has also been an alarming rise in the consumption of alcohol among the group.