"exit bag" or suicide with helium or nitrogen QUESTIONS... please help

[SufferingInDenmark]

#1 i assume they add the smell to the gas, right? any gas you would buy anywhere

#2 i heard horror stories about relatives accidentally dying when they came home and found their relative who
comitted suicide with charcoal bricks, because the smoke was so strong that they accidentally passed out.
is it the same deal with these gasses in the "exit bags"?
i know your head is covered with the bag, so it would only be inside the bag, but what about when they take off the bag?

#3 can't think of any other questions, but LMK if you have anything interesting to add

 

[footballseason]

TL;DR: I believe inert gas can be dangerous to whoever finds your body if it displaces a lot of air or causes a fire/ explosion, but I'm not completely sure.

Receive this with skepticism because I can't recall a source to cite, but I remember reading somewhere- probably in The Peaceful Pill -that the exit bag method poses a danger to others when two conditions are met:

1. The bag fills with more inert gas than it can hold, causing it to overflow into the surrounding environment and displace oxygen.

And

2. The body (and therefore bag) are in a small, enclosed space such as a car or closet.

So, if you're in a sufficiently small space and release a sufficient amount of inert gas to displace a sufficient amount of the oxygen in that small space, and there isn't a sufficient amount of airflow to remove the inert gas and replace the oxygen, then yes, you could pose a danger to whoever finds your body. This can be avoided by using the bag outdoors, or in a sufficiently large space with sufficient airflow.

How large is sufficiently large, and how much airflow is sufficient airflow? I don't know enough to confidently give you an answer. Inert gases might also pose a secondary danger if they can cause a fire or explosion. I believe Helium might pose such a danger, but again, I'm not completely sure. Hopefully someone else will be able to lead you to a reliable source of information.

 

[Forveleth]

#1 i assume they add the smell to the gas, right? any gas you would buy anywhere

So far as I know, they do not add smells to the gas. This would require something other than the helium/nitrogen in the tank, diluting it which may ruin whatever you need to use it for. Imagine put stinky nitrogen in beer!

#2 i heard horror stories about relatives accidentally dying when they came home and found their relative who comitted suicide with charcoal bricks, because the smoke was so strong that they accidentally passed out. is it the same deal with these gasses in the "exit bags"? i know your head is covered with the bag, so it would only be inside the bag, but what about when they take off the bag?

If you think about how big a bag is compared to a room, there really is not any danger. Have you ever let the helium out of a balloon before? It is not enough to make anyone pass out/die when released into a standard room.

Football is correct though. There is a risk if the body is in an enclosed space with no ventilation. Once you die, the tank will continue to vent until it is empty and, if there is no way for the helium/nitrogen to escape the room, it will slowly push out the oxygen creating a risk for whoever comes to find you. While I have not researched this method I would think it would be best to have a sealed bag (as much as possible) but the whole setup should be in a well-ventilated area.

Also, neither helium nor nitrogen are flammable (inert means non-reactive) so fire is not a risk.

#3 can't think of any other questions, but LMK if you have anything interesting to add

Have you read the Inert Gas megathread? Also, you might have the search function unlocked by now (need a certain number of posts). You can look up the topic and posts by user @NegevChina as inert gas is their planned method.

Exit bag and inert gas megathread

Exit Bag and Inert Gas Basics —A very, very long post, I know, but I feel like I've fielded a lot of questions about this, so I figured I'd spell out everything I know. Others on the forum should please add to this thread whatever reliable technical information they feel is appropriate for...

sanctioned-suicide.net

 

[Tommen Baratheon]

TL;DR: I believe inert gas can be dangerous to whoever finds your body if it displaces a lot of air or causes a fire/ explosion, but I'm not completely sure.

Yeah, no, not really.

TL;DR: I believe inert gas can be dangerous to whoever finds your body if it displaces a lot of air or causes a fire/ explosion, but I'm not completely sure.

Yeah, no, not really.

 

[devils~advocate]

#1 i assume they add the smell to the gas, right? any gas you would buy anywhere

#2 i heard horror stories about relatives accidentally dying when they came home and found their relative who
comitted suicide with charcoal bricks, because the smoke was so strong that they accidentally passed out.
is it the same deal with these gasses in the "exit bags"?
i know your head is covered with the bag, so it would only be inside the bag, but what about when they take off the bag?

#3 can't think of any other questions, but LMK if you have anything interesting to add

#1 - No smell for most inert gases. They are not flammable. They can be used to displace oxygen...which is their intended use in industrial applications (and why they are useful for purposeful ctb). Mass quantities of inert gas can be dangerous but this is at an industrial plant level. Not an issue with cylinders etc. Cylinders for ctb use do not have that much in them...maybe maximum 80 cubic feet or 2000 Liters...which is nothing really.

#2 - Not a chance with inert gases. They would be contained in the exit bag. But even if the gas were to flow into a room freely....there would have to be a massive supply to have any effect. This is the reason for the exit bag...to contain the gas closely to breathing so it replaces the oxygen. Once it is free into a room, the gases mix with the normal air very easily. Normal air is already 78% nitrogen anyway. One would have to displace 95% of the normal air with an inert gas in a room...that is a very hard thing to do. You'd need a lot to do this. A 8'x'8'x8' or 2.5mX2.5mX2.5m room...which is a small room, has over 15,000 Liters. You'd need at least 8 very large gas cylinders flowing out at the same time...and having the room sealed shut with no cracks. Very hard to do this. So no worries about this.