Citation

van den Hondel KE, Buster M, Reijnders UJ. J. Forensic Leg. Med. 2016; 44: 24-26.

Affiliation

Public Health Service, Department of Forensic Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jflm.2016.08.012

PMID

27591338

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Annually about 28% of the 5800 death of unnatural cause in the Netherlands are a result of suicide. In 2012 and 2013 a movie and a book were published about a "dignified end of life" which also described the suicide using the exit bag to establish asphyxia using helium. The purpose of this study is to investigate if the suicide methods changed since the publicity in 2013 about suicidal asphyxiation by using helium gas. This study especially focuses on suicide using the 'exit bag' with or without helium gas. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the period 2005 to 2014 all suicides in the region of Amsterdam-Amstelland and Zaanstreek-Waterland were analyzed and from these suicides cases using the exit bag were selected.

RESULTS: The study shows a rising trend with the use of the helium (P > 0.01) and a decreasing trend for suicide by asphyxia using an exit bag (P < 0.05). The data does not show a sudden difference, but there seems to be a gradually change.

DISCUSSION: The number of suicides using the helium method is rising in Amsterdam-Amstelland and Zaanstreek-Waterland, while suicides by asphyxiation without helium are decreasing. The specific publicity of books about suicides using helium may have influenced this transition.

Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Language: en