Suicide Kits Under Fire as Oregon Proposes Ban of Sale

Oregon legalized assisted suicide more than thirteen years ago through a plebiscite measure. In that time, the official statistics state that there have been 525 reported assisted suicide deaths in Oregon. At the same time there has been more than a 30% increase in suicide deaths in Oregon. Now the Oregon government is attempting to take some action on the problem.

An article by Mikaela Conley that was published by ABC News on May 10 explained that the Oregon legislature unanimously voted to ban the sale or marketing of suicide kits.

The bill is a response tot he death of Nick Klonoski, a 29 year old Oregon resident who was experiencing long term depression who ordered the Exit/Suicide bag (helium hood) through the mail from a assisted suicide activist group in California.

State Senator Floyd Prozanski, who sponsored the bill stated:

"After learning of a young man who took his life using a helium hood he bought, it became obvious that there were no checks and balances of marketing suicide kits. Minors had access to the kits through the Internet, and I personally don't believe we need to be marketing an object like a suicide kit."

Prozanski further stated that:

"Any kid who suffers from depression after losing their first boyfriend or girlfriend and thinking the world is over has access to this right now,"

Sharlotte Hydorn, the assisted suicide activist from La Mesa California who sold the "Helium Hood" to Klonski stated:

she makes no apologies for his death.

"I cannot take all the sadness of the world on my shoulders. I feel so sorry for the mama, but I'm not at fault. That's his choice, not my choice."

Hydorn then stated:

"Since this bill came out, I've received many many orders from Oregon. They haven't benefited themselves, and now people are stocking up before the law closes on them."

Business doubled after Klonoski's death made headlines and she plans on continuing to grow her small company. Hydorn said she has received requests for kits from all over the world.

Derek Humphry

People should not be surprised by the fact that an elderly woman in La Mesa California is distributing "Helium Suicide Hoods" nationally and internationally. Hydorn admits that she works directly with the leaders of the euthanasia lobby, the article stated:

Three years after her husband's death, Hydorn met Derek Humphry, author of "Final Exit" and founder of the right-to-die organization, the Hemlock Society. Hydorn believed in Humphry's mission and began to volunteer, and ultimately became a board member, for the organization.

A similar fact was exposed when it was discovered that George Exoo was assisting the suicides of depressed people. Humphry admitted that when he received calls from people who were unstable but wanted to die he gave them Exoo's contact information. Link to article.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is happy that the State of Oregon recognizes the horrific problems in relation to the Helium Hood but at the same time they are not investigating the leading assisted suicide lobby group Compassion & Choices who in 2009 facilitated 57 of 59 reported assisted suicide deaths in their state.

It should cause an alarm to go off when the group that promotes assisted suicide is also the group that facilitates the deaths and the reporting mechanism.

Knowing the role that Compassion & Choices plays in facilitating the Oregon assisted suicide law should create huge concerns as to what is actually happening in Oregon.