There is still *something* very nasty that can be bought over the counter in the UK and that is 99% pure sulphuric acid which is readily available from plumbers merchants and DIY sheds like Homebase and is used for - among other things - unblocking drains. I was trying to explain this to a pal of mine in Germany who's a plumber but he couldn't get his head around it. Must have sounded outrageous to him with their strict environmental laws over there. I expect they'll ban it soon, though. It's recently become a fashionable way to exact revenge on someone that's disrespected a bro among the black community: squirt it in their face! Makes an awful mess of human flesh. Still, that's their culture so we should really celebrate it, I guess. :-/