This is why we should have open, reliable standards for lethal doses.

obviously a troll. Look at the email address and the groups crossposted
to.
If you're going to reply, remove the other groups.
If you see a reply you don't like, think twice before replying and watch
what newsgroups your reply is going to.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2002197134_webwake04.html
After going through the process of requesting a doctor-assisted suicide,
Prueitt received a prescription for 100 capsules of Seconal, a type of
barbiturate.

On Jan. 30, Prueitt swallowed the drug overdose, which had been mixed with
applesauce and water. Also in the home were his wife, her mother, a friend
and two volunteers from Compassion in Dying of Oregon.

Prueitt, weakened by the disease, could barely raise the mug to his lips,
his wife said. Within six minutes of swallowing the drug, he fell into a
coma, she said.

After waking up three days later, he remained alert and talkative,
occasionally asking for water and cigarettes, she said. <end quote>
That subject's not in the FAQ

But suicide is.
http://www.cancersupporters.com/asc/part2.html

Do cancer patients ever get suicidal thoughts?

The statistics on suicide show that the suicide rate for white men
increases with age, and that white men over 65 are about 4 or 5 times more
likely to commit suicide than older white women. Illness, loss of wife or
other life partner, family and financial difficulties, alcoholism, and
comparable difficulties intensify a man's urges toward wanting out.

An article Suicide and Cancer in Late Life (Vol. 41, No 12, December 1990)
published in the journal Hospital and Community Psychiatry concerned
suicide among older men who were, or suspected that they were, in advanced
stages of cancer. The article's authors are Yeates Conwell, M.D., Eric D.
Caine, M.D., and Kurt Olsen, Ph.D. Drs. Conwell and Caine hold
professorships and Dr. Olsen holds an assistant professorship at
prestigious academic or health care institutions. The article's Abstract,
in full, states: In a controlled psychological autopsy study of suicide in
late life, eight cases in which the victim's belief that he had cancer
played a major role in the decision to end his life, were examined. All
victims were men. The majority had major affective disorders, but none had
been seen in mental health care settings. Other common characteristics
were an active relationship with a primary physician, numerous losses,
prior experience with cancer or debilitating disease, and a rigid,
self-sufficient personality. The cases illustrate the complex determinants
of suicidal behavior in the elderly and suggest preventive strategies.

Physical illness is a commonly cited risk factor for suicide, especially
in late life. Of the physical illnesses associated with suicidal behavior,
cancer stands out. It has been estimated that malignant neoplasm was
present 20 times more often in suicide victims than expected in the
general population, and studying suicide and accident victims over age 50,
found cancer was significantly more common among those who took their own
lives.

In addition, large-scale epidemiological studies have found cancer
patients to be at significantly higher risk for suicide than the general
population. Cancer has a special psychological significance in our
culture, where it is associated with pain, suffering, and death.

Suicide has crossed my mind, what should I do?

You're experiencing a tremendous amount of stress and pain, and may have
never learned to manage the emotions associated with both. Suicide may
seem like your only escape from mounting pressure, although it's not.
Doing (or attempting) suicide, however, doesn't really address the
underlying causes of your pain, whatever they may be.

That's often the case with people who attempt suicide or engage in
self-injurious behavior. But there are other options available, and I
recommend you seek them out as soon as possible.

The most important thing is to start seeing a therapist, if you haven't
already, and be completely honest with him or her about what's going on
with you. If you can find a therapist experienced in treating people with
cancer, all the better.

If money is a problem, you can seek out a community mental health center
or other agency offering reduced-fee services.
J.

If an assisted suicide fails, can the patient sue for malpractice?

This was just the example that pro-lifers needed! (Pro-lifers are now
using this example as an argument against assisted suicide. Nah, they
cannot infer that barbiturates OD should be substituted by guillotine).

PRo-choicers say the man did not swallow all the pills.

Still, there are some things that i don't udnerstand. What the story
suggests, is that the sleeping pills reached his brain and probably the
man breathed very slowly and his heartbeat was very slow when the
Seconal's influence was at the climax. (Don't forget that barbiturates
affect the WHOLE brain). Then the barbiturates gradually left the blood
and reached the urine. Still, the man might have died from renal
failure (he did not get pissed for three days). And still he did not
die...Strange

"it will review the law again following an appeal by the
Bush administration. "

Bush strikes again. For a free country we seemed to be less and less
free.

Stories like this make me nervous.  At least it worked for 170 people.
That's a less than 1% failure rate so the odds are with you that the
lethal dose will kill you.  Plus, like some are saying, maybe he didn't
take enough.  Odd story, but hopefully my overdose will go better than
this poor guy's.

What I do not understand is just where was he for three days?  Most places
stick you in the cold room until they can slice and dice to verify you were
terminally ill.  If he was still kicking, it sounds like no doctor had
declared him dead as I assume your average first responder would be able to
tell he still had some life in him.  did she plan to keep him around till
he started to stink or something.  This whole story smells.

all this guy had to do - was be sent to Abu Garab Drill Team and he would
have died very quickly - and with lots of pain however ... but it would be a
sure thing ... well attended and lots of witnesses ...

on the other hand - go kill someone and get caught - the kill krazy
kristians will hang, shoot, poison or electrocute him ...

hey - if home capital punishment death dont work sometimes - then in prison
it also misses the mark sometimes ... a convict gets to be killed at least
twice with electricity - shooting, hanging, drugs ...

we need more liberal hate crimes - so that liberal haters who kill liberals
will really be scared and not kill them anymore ... a death penalty with
teeth in it ... so that people will know they will get killed when they say
so ..

Is this a great country or what ...

sumbuddie on da watchtower

Which just goes to show that when the time is right we will all go, not a
minute sooner, not a minute later.
MIKE