I wouldn't have thought nitrogen gas would be a bad way to go. Your body is slowly starved of oxygen, you lose consciousness, and ultimately, you die. It isn't going to be instant, so you'd need to be relaxed and resigned to committing suicide. Indeed, you would hope that each of these booths would have an 'abort' button that flushed out the nitrogen and boosted the oxygen, for those who changed their minds part way through the process.

The sense of "I can't breathe" is actually your body's response to a build-up of carbon dioxide rather than a lack of oxygen. This is why carbon monoxide is so dangerous, because exposure to it doesn't create an immediate response, it blocks the uptake of oxygen by your bloodstream, and by the time serious symptoms start to appear (headaches etc.) victims have often already fallen unconscious.

@NicoleCadmium In my opinion it hasn't been tested in a controlled setting where a lethal amount is used enough on humans to get my support. Oklahoma just passed a law that allowed the use of it it executions. Reading further into it though, I found alot of support in favor of using it in executions and in assisted suicide articles. But i did come across an article or two that said it took more fifteen to twenty minutes to die and that it might not be so painless in those cases.

@Tejas There's no lethal amount of nitrogen. Nearly 80% of the air you breathe is nitrogen. The method of death is to remove the roughly 20% that's normally oxygen.

It's a very similar mechanism to carbon monoxide poisoning, as I mentioned earlier (though rather than removing the oxygen, carbon monoxide enters your bloodstream instead of it.) Headaches, dizziness and nausea are the worst symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning (aside from death, obviously.) I can't imagine the symptoms of breathing what's effectively air with the oxygen removed being any worse than that. Back in the days of carbon monoxide coal gas, turn on the gas oven, don't light it, and put your head inside was quite a common suicide method.

So death by this method is likely to be a process of feeling lightheaded and perhaps having a bit of a headache, losing consciousness, and ultimately dying. It's about as humane a method of ending life as I can think of.

If you’re speaking of depression ..use it as a tool. Allow yourself to function at a base level, as if life’s just no fun … and as the basics are taken care of, better stuff seeps in… If it’s bipolar, harder to balance, but stay focused on the basics.. Just stay engaged

There's nothing in this question that indicates that these pods would have any lesser restrictions on their use than assisted suicide. It's merely a description of the technology, and none of the answers choices would suggest indiscriminate use of the device. Nitrogen is a nontoxic gas and is relatively easy to acquire. And an airtight chamber with a valve to allow it to be filled with nitrogen wouldn't be terribly difficult to design and build.

I'm not suggesting that you should change your opinion. I just wanted to point out that there's nothing in the post to indicate that these things would be readily available to anyone who wanted to end their own lives for any reason.

I am not in favor of restricting the right of people to make mistakes. We should strive to make people not stupid, but making stupid decisions that cost lives is something that happens all the time. And sometimes a stupid decision might actually turn out great.

As for cost, it would be lower than taking oneself out in any other manner. Just have a private entity rent pods (I am trademarking The Death Hotel) and call a contact or dump the body at a specified funerary, and all is taken care of.

@Varn dude, are you serious? 'once the basics get taken care of, the better stuff seeps in.."?? that would be the last thing i'd want to hear as a depressive. ignorant simplifications, imo. or are we not allowed to have dissenting views on this forum?

@nightowl “that would be the last thing i'd want to hear as a depressive.” Then how do you know? Let me guess.. you’d appreciate a more confusing, if clinical answer, leading to drug addiction. Dissent all you want, just add more than criticism in the process.

Thanks for the replies. I really enjoyed them.

@Vern I'm bipolar and I'm not sure what you mean by allowing myself to function on the basic level.

@JimG very good point. If the pod requires a prescription then I'm cool with it.

@Chad I was far to broad with that. I should have said in a few states in the US. You are 100% correct.

@Varn i was afraid i'd left a negative tone- so, fair enough you bring that up- however, the point maintains...being a depressive, i do know. now, i am curious about what you mean about- "i'd appreciate a clinical answer, leading to drug addiction'? for the record, do you really think anyone needs someone telling them how to express themselves? a bit critical, dontchya think?

I imagine it is expensive as it's a newly developed technology and because of its subject matter it will be controversial. As for the hose in the exhaust type deal, a lot of times people intervene and the person trying commit suicide survive and are more messed up afterwards. This seems quick and virtually painless from my understanding.

@AssassinofWords Yes indeed...if I were to attempt such a thing I would certainly do my best to plan it for a time when any intervention was unlikely. Maybe find a remote place where I'd be unlikely to be found. Or just lock myself in the car, in the garage, at a time I was mostly sure I had plenty of time execute such a plan. I suppose nothing is 100% foolproof but I'd try for at least 99%.

I also have heard that it is fairly quick and painless...like just getting really sleepy and falling deeply asleep and never waking up. In my high school years I knew a guy who died of carbon monoxide poisoning along with his parents and brothers and sisters in their family home. A chimney vent was blocked or something. But it was interesting that they were all found in their beds, apparently looking like they were peacefully sleeping and with no sign of stress or discomfort. Very sad though.

I came across it on another article but yes this is the pod I was referring to.

@AssassinofWords

In my opinion, there are pros and cons to the availability of this technology. For those who are at peace that every avenue has been explored then this may be a viable option.

The potential for abuse and exploitation for profit is high and that makes me very uncomfortable and quite frankly, fearful.

Quick, painless and humane. That's why I thought it was an interesting concept because people like your father (my condolences, by the way) can end their suffering with dignity and without regret.

Naturally laws governing it's usage would be put in place as people will always try to corrupt something for their own nefarious purposes. I imagine this would be available to medically trained staff.

@AssassinofWords The how is the catch. I could see, potentially, it being well-administered. But I could also see any such administration corrupted. It would be a very slippery slope. That's not to say it couldn't be done, but that's why I would much prefer solutions first

@DonThiebaut Like all technologies, it's all in the application. I'd be naive to think this would be used in its purest, most ideal form which is to ease the suffering of those with no other options except to garner some peace before moving onto whatever's next.

I suppose they'd gain some assistance into the pod just as they receive it during every day life.

@AssassinofWords But then the purpose of the pod, relieving others of responsibility, is moot?!