If you think of committing suicide, you can find help here: 1-800-273-8255
No, it is not painful.
In fact, opiates and and benzodiazepines are used for assisted suicide and for Palliative medicine.
A 1992 nationwide study by one of the authors
(G. van der Wal) on drugs used by Dutch general
practitioners in euthanasia and physician-assisted
suicide showed that more than 40 different drugs
were used. [9] In 30% of patients a single drug was
used, most frequently a barbiturate or an opioid. In
57%, a combination of 2 drugs was given, most often
a benzodiazepine or a barbiturate with a neuromus-
cular relaxant (curare derivative). In this study, 75%
of the drugs were given parenterally, 21% orally, and
3% rectally.
In the U.S., secobarbital is most commonly used.
Currently in Oregon, secobarbital is the medication most commonly prescribed for physician-assisted suicide, followed by pentobarbital.4 The lethal dose prescribed is typically 9 g of secobarbital in capsules or 10 g of pentobarbital liquid, to be consumed at one time.[4–6] The contents of the secobarbital capsules or the pentobarbital liquid should be mixed with a sweet substance such as juice to mask the bitter taste. Until the time of use, the medication must be stored out of reach of children and kept away from others to prevent unintentional overdose or abuse.
Inhaling nitrogen gas is another humane form of suicide.
Several organizations and sites in favor of suicide promotethe use of N
2
focusing on the following ‘‘pros.’’ First, deathinduced by N
2 gas is fast. Most people will lose consciousnessafter 12 seconds and then die within minutes. Besides, thismethod offers the prospect of a peaceful death because N
2 exists in the air. In that way, the intense hypercapnic alarm responsecaused by irritant fumes, such as carbon dioxide, is avoided.Moreover, the decedent’s reputation can remain intact, becauseonce the suicide device is removed from the scene, no tracesimplying the manner of death remain. Regarding the equipment,it is easy to obtain without drawing suspicion because it isavailable from hardware stores and via the Internet as well. Moreover, N
2 may serve as a suicidal gas, but when released, being lighter than the air, it disperses quickly, and it is not fatalto anyone that may stand next to the body during recovery.
