X-Message-Number: 26776
From: 
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 11:36:20 EDT
Subject: suicide

Jordan Sparks wrote about suicide in ice water. Being new, he had not seen  
previous discussions.
 
First, previous proposals were not to drown oneself by using will power to  

remain submerged, but to use narcotics and then allow hypothermia from the cold
 water to cause death without discomfort (as well as reducing ischemic  
damage).
 
Next, in some states suicide is illegal. In Michigan suicide is legal, but  
assisted suicide is not. The challenge, as Mr. Sparks says, is autopsy. A  

possible solution is to make advance arrangements with the medical examiner to
have him or one of his staff on hand to observe, confirm that there was no  
"assisted" suicide, and pronounce death. If the patient is under hospice  
care--certified to be terminal--this should make it easier. 
 
Failing to secure the medical examiner's cooperation, one might go to  court. 
This failed years ago in Thomas Donaldson's case, but I believe he was  not 
certified terminal.
 
Robert Ettinger


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