In this episode we talk about a mystery gas increasingly used in suicides and get a first hand account from Nick Connors from the NYCPCC. Articles mentioned are available here and a link to the Frontline documentary. Contributors include Nick Connors and Matt Zuckerman.
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Thank you for recording this podcast and raising awareness about the tragic phenomenon of chemical suicide. As a first responder myself, I have responded to a helium suicide out here in Oregon and it is so important for first responders and healthcare “receivers” to understand the effects and dangers of the gases being used.
[…] found down with a container of compressed gas that is resuscitated en route to the hospital by EMS. Helium asphyxiation? Really? Matt Zuckerman and Nick Connors discuss its use as a simple, difficult to detect suicide technique. […]
After listening to the podcast I watched the Frontline documentary. Dr. Quill, a specialist in palliative care, suggests that the use of helium is a desperate act driven by the unavailability of better methods. Furthermore, he seems to suggest that helium is a bad choice.
This seems to be the epitome of ignorance. Proper use of helium, as the podcast indicates is effective, quick, and painless.