bitcoin twitter facebook

January 19, 2025

Different Methods, Different Deaths: Hypoxia Explained

January 2025 PPeH Update

In January, Exit published a significant new update to the Peaceful Pill eHandbook Essentials.

The topic was the different ‘death experiences’ that different methods provide.

Indeed, so detailed was the update that important facts were easy to overlook.

Nitrogen

The section on Nitrogen, for example, gave details and descriptions about the different death experiences that nitrogen hypoxia provides in the follow circumstances:

  • Bag
  • Mask
  • Sarco

For the most part, the Update was based on eye witness accounts. That is the accounts of deaths from those who were present.

The use of the mask relates to the Alabama execution protocol. In this situation eye witness accounts of the several deaths which have occurred this way are filtered via the media. Although Exit Director Philip Nitschke has spoken directly to a journalist who was present (in the viewing room) for the execution of Kenneth Smith.

Philip appeared as an expert witness for the defence to try and stop the execution of Kenny Smith back in December 2023.  At the time, he visited Holman Prison, inspected the execution chamber and had been fitted with the mask by a prison official.

Unfortunately Smith’s appeal failed and he was executed using nitrogen gas and a face mask on 25 January 2024.

Hypoxia Explained

The use of an inert gas, such as nitrogen, when introduced into a closed environment can provide a simple, effective, peaceful and entirely lawful DIY death from cerebral hypoxia.

What is important is that in this environment there is a) not enough oxygen to sustain life and b) carbon dioxide levels are low.

A zero oxygen environment can be created using almost any inert gas. The introduced gas serves no purpose other than to displace the oxygen. On taking a deep breath of a gas with zero percent oxygen, consciousness is lost almost immediately. Death follows after a few minutes.

A Normal Hypoxic Death?

A hypoxic death using an exit bag, facemask or the Sarco can cause involuntary muscle contractions and some movement prior to death.

Sometimes this happens and sometimes it does not.

When these contractions do occur, the person will have become unconscious and unaware of the movements.

Eye-witnesses state that there are no discernible signs that the person experiences any discomfort or pain.

These movements cannot be predicted in advance, so when family members are present they are warned that this may happen; just so they are not shocked should there be sudden unexpected movements.

This phenomenon is well known to those witnessing hypoxic deaths from nitrogen (or helium in the past) using an exit bag. However, the use of a facemask or the Sarco are newer iterations of the method.

When a mask was used, it is these involuntary muscle contractions which made headlines around the world with reports that prisoners (ie. Smith) thrashed ‘violently on the gurney’.

Philip Nitschke explains these forced, non-voluntary execution deaths like this:

By holding his breath, carbon dioxide built up in Kenny Smith’s lungs, acidifying his blood.

This accentuates the involuntary and uncoordinated muscle contractions.

Although Smith’s death was clearly traumatic for those witnessing it, with some interpreting these movements as ‘struggling’, Smith himself would not have been aware of this.

Philip maintains that a hypoxic death is fundamentally unsuitable where the person dying does not cooperate (because they do not want to die). A person fighting the process, holds their breath for as long as possible, slowing the death and accentuating these involuntary muscle movements.

Where Sarco is concerned the situation is totally different.

The woman who used the Sarco (in Switzerland in September 2024) wanted to die. She was gravely ill and wanted to put an end to her suffering. As such, she followed the protocol perfectly.

Upon entering the Sarco and pressing the button, the woman knew that she should breath deeply. This she did, without hesitation.

She lost consciousness within 2 minutes and died peacefully within 7 minutes.

The only two eye-witnesses to this first death in the Sarco were Florian Willet (who was on scene) and Philip Nitschke via video link.

After the woman lost consciousness, there were several moments when her body and head moved.

Her knees moved up at one point. At another point, her head moved forward and back.

Conclusion

Involuntary muscle contractions and movement post ‘loss of consciousness’ can be par for the course for a hypoxic death.

These movements do not distract from the peacefulness of the death that is experienced.

However, because they may be unexpected for those present, this is an important conversation to have ahead of time.

Read more in the January 2025 Update to the Peaceful Pill eHandbook.

Log In

Subscribe