Novichok: The Super Sneaky Poison

Novichok is a scary name for a group of very dangerous chemicals. Think of them like invisible, super-strong poisons. They were made a long time ago by scientists in the Soviet Union, which was a country that doesn't exist anymore.

Some of these poisons are like tiny powders, and others are like liquids. They are so powerful that even a tiny bit can be very harmful. It's important to know that these are not toys or something you'd ever want to find!

These dangerous chemicals were created in special science labs in the Soviet Union, starting way back in 1971. Scientists were trying to make new kinds of weapons. They worked on them for many years, until 1993. They even gave them a name that means 'newcomer' or 'newbie' in Russian, which is a bit like calling something dangerous by a cute name! It's like naming a scary monster 'Fluffy'.

Scientists who made Novichok say it's the deadliest poison ever created. Some kinds are said to be up to 10 times stronger than other super-poisons! Imagine if a regular strong drink was like a small sip, but Novichok was like drinking a whole swimming pool of it.

This makes them very dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands. Because they are so strong, countries around the world have agreed to try and stop anyone from making or using them.

In recent years, people have heard about Novichok because it was used to hurt people who were against the government in Russia. There were even cases where people were poisoned in the United Kingdom. These events made the world realize how dangerous these chemicals are, and now there are special rules to try and control them.

It's like when you learn about a new danger, and everyone makes rules to stay safe.