Health Canada approves assisted suicide drug with side effects.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Joan Bryden recently reported in the Toronto Star that Health Canada approved Secobarbital for assisted suicide. Secobarbital is an old drug that had several uses, but was known for causing accidental overdose deaths. According to the Toronto Star article:

"It's kind of the barbiturate of choice because (its) quicker onset and duration is such that the dying period is reduced," said Dr. Stefanie Green, president and co-founder of the Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers.

The Toronto Star article Secobarbital has side effects:

In general, orally ingested drug cocktails present some difficulties that are not associated with those injected intravenously: they taste bad, they can induce nausea and vomiting, the patient can fall asleep before the entire dose is consumed, which can ultimately cause it to be ineffective.

Last Feburary Kaiser Medical News published a warning concerning problems with assisted suicide drugs.

• Assisted suicide can be a slow and painful death.
• Assisted suicide often involves pain and suffering.