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'''Why? To give people ideas of how to commit suicide? Wow.'''
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{{Suicide}}
A '''suicide method''' is any means by which a person purposely commits [[suicide]], taking his or her own life. Suicide methods can be classified according to two modes of interrupting one's life processes: physical or chemical. Physical modes of interruption typically act by incapacitating the [[respiratory system]] or the [[central nervous system]], usually by destruction of one or more key components. Chemical modes focus on interrupting biologically significant processes such as [[cellular respiration]] or [[diffusion capacity]]. Chemical methods of suicide produce latent evidence of action, whereas physical methods provide direct evidence.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

{{TOC limit|3}}

==Bleeding==
{{See also|Self-injury}}
[[Suicide]] by [[exsanguination]] involves reducing the volume and pressure of the blood to below critical levels by inducing massive [[blood loss]]. It is usually the result of damage inflicted on [[arteries]]. The [[Internal carotid artery|carotid]], [[radial artery|radial]], [[ulnar artery|ulnar]] or [[femoral artery|femoral]] arteries may be targeted. Death may occur directly as a result of the [[desanguination]] of the body or via [[hypovolemia]], wherein the [[blood volume]] in the circulatory system becomes too low and results in the body shutting down.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}
{| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:30em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
|-
| left;| '''Juliet:''' O happy dagger! [''Takes Romeo's dagger.'']<br>This is thy sheath. [''Stabs herself.'']<br>There rust, and let me die. [''Falls on Romeo's body and dies.'']
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | – ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', Act V, Scene III
|}
Persons considering a suicide attempt, or trying out the weapon to ascertain its effectiveness, may first make shallow cuts, referred to as "hesitation wounds" or "tentative wounds" in the literature. They are often non-lethal, multiple parallel cuts.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pounder|first=Derrick|title=Lecture Notes in Forensic Medicine|url=http://www.dundee.ac.uk/forensicmedicine/notes/Lecture%20Notes%20in%20Forensic%20Medicine%20Derrick%20Pounder%2048pages.pdf|accessdate=16 April 2011|page=6}}</ref>

===Wrist cutting===
Wrist cutting is sometimes practiced with the goal of [[self-mutilation]] and not suicide; however, if the bleeding is copious and/or allowed to continue unchecked, [[cardiac arrhythmia]], followed by severe [[hypovolemia]], [[shock (circulatory)|shock]], [[circulatory collapse]] and/or [[cardiac arrest]], and death may ensue, in that order. {{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

In the case of a failed suicide attempt, the person may experience injury of the [[tendons]] of the extrinsic flexor muscles, or the [[ulnar nerve|ulnar]] and [[median nerve|median]] nerves which control the muscles of the hand, both of which can result in temporary or permanent reduction in the victim's sensory and/or motor ability and/or also cause chronic somatic or autonomic pain.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Bukhari | first =AJ | coauthors =Saleem M, Bhutta AR, Khan AZ, Abid KJ. | title = Spaghetti wrist: management and outcome | journal = J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. | volume = 14 | issue =(10) | pages = 608–11 |year=2004 | month=October | pmid = 15456551 | doi = 10.2004/JCPSP.608611}}</ref> As in any class IV hemorrhage, aggressive resuscitation is required to prevent death of the patient; standard emergency bleeding control applies for pre-hospital treatment.

Arterial bleeding is identified by the rhythmic [[gush of blood]] (in unison with the heartbeat) that is bright red in color. Venous bleeding produces a continuous stream of blood of a darker red color. Arterial bleeding is more difficult to control and usually more life-threatening.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

== Drowning ==
[[File:Street Girl's End.jpg|thumb|right|A [[homeless]] girl contemplates [[drowning]] herself.]]
{{Main|Drowning}}
Suicide by [[drowning]] is the act of deliberately submerging oneself in water or other liquid to prevent [[breath]]ing and [[asphyxia|deprive the brain of oxygen]]. Due to the body's natural tendency to come up for air, drowning attempts often involve the use of a heavy object to overcome this reflex. As the level of carbon dioxide in the victim's blood rises, the [[central nervous system]] sends the respiratory muscles an involuntary signal to contract, and the person breathes in water. Death usually occurs as the level of oxygen becomes too low to sustain the brain cells. It is among the least common methods of suicide, typically accounting for less than 2% of all reported suicides in the United States.<ref name='WISQARS'>{{cite web
| url = http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcaus10.html
| title = WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports
| accessdate = 2009-07-06
}}</ref>

== Suffocation ==
{{see also|Suicide bag}}
Suicide by [[suffocation]] is the act of inhibiting one's ability to breathe or limiting oxygen uptake while breathing, causing [[hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]] and eventually [[asphyxia]]. This may involve an [[exit bag]] (a plastic bag fixed over the head) or confinement in an enclosed space without oxygen. These attempts involve using depressants to make the user pass out due to the oxygen deprivation before the instinctive panic and the urge to escape due to the [[hypercapnia|hypercapnic alarm response]].
It is impossible for someone to commit suicide by simply holding their breath, as the level of oxygen in the blood becomes too low, the brain sends an involuntary reflex, and the person breathes in as the respiratory muscles contract. Even if one is able to overcome this response to the point of becoming unconscious, in this condition, it's no longer possible to control breathing, and a normal rhythm is reestablished. {{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

Because of this, one is more likely to commit suicide by breathing toxic gases, instead of preventing breath. [[Helium]], [[argon]], [[nitrogen]] and [[carbon monoxide]] are commonly used in suicides by suffocation. Breathing [[inert gas]] quickly and painlessly renders a person unconscious, and may cause death within minutes.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib042704.html | title=Deaths Involving the Inadvertent Connection of Air-line Respirators to Inert Gas Supplies }}</ref>

==Hypothermia==
{{Main|Hypothermia}}
Suicide by [[hypothermia]] or by cold, is a slow death that goes through several stages. Hypothermia begins with mild symptoms, gradually leading to moderate and severe penalties. This may involve [[shivering]], [[delirium]], [[hallucination]]s, lack of coordination, sensations of warmth, then finally death. One's organs cease to function, though clinical [[brain death]] can be prolonged.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

==Electrocution==
{{Main|Electrocution}}
Suicide by electrocution involves using a lethal [[electric shock]] to kill oneself. This would cause arrhythmias of the heart, meaning that the heart would not contract in synchrony between the different chambers, essentially causing elimination of blood flow. Furthermore, depending on the amount of electrical current, burns may also occur.
<blockquote> "The evidence here shows that electrocution inflicts intense pain and agonizing suffering," (Justice [[William M. Connolly]], [[Nebraska Supreme Court]])<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/us/09penalty.html | work=The New York Times | title=Electrocution Is Banned in Last State to Rely on It | first=Adam | last=Liptak | date=2008-02-09 | accessdate=2010-05-24}}</ref></blockquote>

==Jumping from height==
{{Main|Jumper (suicide)|Self-defenestration}}
Jumping from height is the act of [[jumping]] from high altitudes, for example, from a window (self-defenestration or auto-defenestration), balcony or roof of a [[high rise building]], [[cliff]], [[dam]] or [[bridge]]. This method, in most cases, results in severe consequences if the attempt fails, such as [[paralysis]], organ damage, and [[bone fractures]].{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

In the United States, jumping is among the least common methods of committing suicide (less than 2% of all reported suicides in the United States for 2005).<ref name="WISQARS"/>

In [[Hong Kong]], jumping is the most common method of committing suicide, accounting for 52.1% of all reported suicide cases in 2006 and similar rates for the years prior to that.<ref>{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = http://csrp.hku.hk | coauthors = | title = Method Used in Completed Suicide | work = | publisher = HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, University of Hong Kong | year = 2006 | url = http://csrp.hku.hk/WEB/eng/statistics.asp#3 | doi = | accessdate = 2009-09-10}}</ref> The Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention of the [[University of Hong Kong]] believes that it may be due to the abundance of easily accessible [[high rise]] buildings in Hong Kong.<ref>{{Cite news
|last =
|first = 周志鴻
|authorlink =
|last2 =
|first2 = 譚健文
|authorlink2 =
|title = 遭家人責罵：掛住上網媾女唔讀書 成績跌出三甲　中四生跳樓亡
|newspaper = [[Apple Daily]]
|pages =
|date = 9 August 2009
|url = http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/template/apple/art_main.php?iss_id=20090809&sec_id=4104&subsec=12731&art_id=13078710
|accessdate = 2009-09-10
}}</ref>

There have been several documented cases of suicide by [[Parachuting|skydiving]], by people who deliberately failed to open their [[parachute]] (or removed it during [[freefall]]) and were found to have left suicide notes.<ref>{{cite journal|author=W.G. Eckert and W.S. Reals|title=Air disaster investigation|journal=Legal Medicine Annual|year=1978|pages=57-70}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=David Dolinak, Evan W. Matshes and Emma O. Lew|title=Forensic pathology: principles and practice|publisher=Academic Press|year=2005|page=293|isbn=0-12-219951-0}}</ref>

==Firearms==
A common suicide method is to use a [[firearm]]. Generally, the [[bullet]] will be aimed at [[point-blank range]], often at the head or, less commonly, into the mouth, under the chin, or pointed at the chest. In the United States, firearms remain the most common method of suicide, accounting for 53.7% of all suicides committed during 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.suicidology.org/associations/1045/files/2003data.pdf |title=U.S.A. Suicide: 2000 Official Final Data |publisher=American Association of Suicidology}}</ref>

A failed suicide attempt by firearm may result in severe chronic pain for the patient as well as reduced cognitive abilities and motor function, subdural hematoma, foreign bodies in the head, pneumocephalus and cerebrospinal fluid leaks. For temporal bone directed bullets, temporal lobe abscess, meningitis, aphasia, hemianopsia, and hemiplegia are common late intracranial complications. As many as 50% of people who survive gunshots wounds directed at the temporal bone suffer facial nerve damage, usually due to a severed nerve.<ref name = "TEMPORAL_SHOT">[http://www.bcm.edu/oto/grand/8593.html Temporal Bone Gunshot Wounds: Evaluation and Management]{{dead link|date=January 2012}}</ref><ref name = "LIMBS_SHOT">{{cite web|url=http://www.jbjs.org.uk/cgi/reprint/79-B/6/1031.pdf |title=Management of gunshot wounds |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2012-01-15}}</ref>

Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the National Academy of Science found an association between household firearm ownership and gun [[suicide]] rates,<ref name="NAS-exec">{{cite book |title=Firearms and Violence: A Critical Review |year=2004 |publisher=National Academy of Science |author=Committee on Law and Justice |chapter=Executive Summary |url=http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091241/html/1.html |isbn=0-309-09124-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1056/NEJM199208133270705 |author=Kellermann |title=Suicide in the home in relation to gun ownership |journal=New England Journal of Medicine |year=1992 |volume=327 |pages=467–472 |pmid=1308093 |issue=7 |author-separator=, |author2=A.L. |author3=F.P. Rivara |author4=G. Somes |display-authors=4 |last5=Francisco |first5=Jerry |last6=Banton |first6=Joyce Gillentine |last7=Prodzinski |first7=Janice |last8=Fligner |first8=Corinne |last9=Hackman |first9=Bela B.}}</ref> though a study by one researcher did not find a [[statistically significant]] association between household firearms and gun suicide rates,<ref name="Miller_Hemenway"/> except in the suicides of children aged 5–14.<ref name="Miller_Hemenway">{{cite book |author=Miller, Matthew and Hemenway, David|title=Firearm Prevalence and the Risk of Suicide: A Review|url= http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~epihc/currentissue/Fall2001/miller.htm |publisher=Harvard Health Policy Review |year=2001 | page=2 | quote=One study found a statistically significant relationship between gun ownership levels and suicide rate across 14 developed nations (e.g. where survey data on gun ownership levels were available), but the association lost its statistical significance when additional countries were included.}}</ref> During the 1980s and early 1990s, there was a strong upward trend in adolescent suicides with a gun,<ref name="cook2000-ch2">{{cite book |author=Cook, Philip J., Jens Ludwig |title=Gun Violence: The Real Costs |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2000 |chapter=Chapter 2 |isbn=0-19-513793-0}}</ref> as well as a sharp overall increase in suicides among those age 75 and over.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ikeda, Robin M., Rachel Gorwitz, Stephen P. James, Kenneth E. Powell, James A. Mercy |title=Fatal Firearm Injuries in the United States, 1962-1994: Violence Surveillance Summary Series, No. 3 |year=1997 |publisher=National Center for Injury and Prevention Control}}</ref>

Two separate studies, in Canada and Australia, conducted in conjunction with more restrictive firearms legislation, demonstrated that while legislation showed a decrease in firearms suicide, other methods such as hanging increased. In Australia, the overall rate of suicide continued along an increasing trend, not decreasing until measures specifically aimed to provide support for those intent on suicide were implemented.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bases.bireme.br/cgi-bin/wxislind.exe/iah/online/?IsisScript=iah/iah.xis&src=google&base=ADOLEC&lang=p&nextAction=lnk&exprSearch=12882416&indexSearch=ID |title=Bases.bireme.br |publisher=Bases.bireme.br |date= |accessdate=2012-01-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atypon-link.com/GPI/doi/abs/10.1521/suli.33.2.151.22775 |title=Atypon-link.com |publisher=Atypon-link.com |date=1970-01-01 |accessdate=2012-01-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5000258711 |title=Questia.com |publisher=Questia.com |date= |accessdate=2012-01-15}}</ref>

Research also indicates no association ''vis-à-vis'' safe-storage laws of guns that are owned, and gun suicide rates; and studies that attempt to link gun ownership to likely victimology often fail to account for the presence of guns owned by other people.<ref name="kleck-2004">{{cite journal |author=Kleck, Gary |title=Measures of Gun Ownership Levels of Macro-Level Crime and Violence Research |url=http://www.hawaii.edu/hivandaids/Measures_of_Gun_Ownership_Levels_for_Macro-Level_Crime_and_Violence_Research.pdf |journal=Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency |year=2004 |volume=41 |pages=3–36 |id={{NCJ|203876}} |doi=10.1177/0022427803256229 | quote= Studies that attempt to link the gun ownership of individuals to their experiences as victims (e.g., Kellermann, et al. 1993) do not effectively determine how an individual's risk of victimization is affected by gun ownership by other people, especially those not living in the gun owner's own household.}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite journal |author=Lott, John, John E. Whitley |title=Safe-Storage Gun Laws: Accidental Deaths, Suicides, and Crime | url=http://johnrlott.tripod.com/whitney.pdf |journal=Journal of Law and Economics |volume=44 |year=2001 |pages=659–689 |quote= It is frequently assumed that safe-storage laws reduce accidental gun deaths and total suicides. We find no support that safe-storage laws reduce either juvenile accidental gun deaths or suicides. |doi=10.1086/338346 | issue=2}}</ref> Researchers have shown that ''safe-storage laws'' do not appear to affect gun suicide rates or juvenile accidental gun death.<ref name="kleck-2004"/><ref name=autogenerated2/>

[[Shotgun]] suicides tend to be extremely messy, and can even cause body matter to go under closed doors. Suicides committed with some [[hollow point]] bullets can essentially cause the head to explode.<ref>{{Cite document|title=Aftermath, Inc.: Cleaning Up After CSI Goes Home|isbn=1-59240-296-8|publisher=Gotham|date=May 17, 2007|author=Reavill, Gil|postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref>

==Hanging==
[[File:Giotto - Scrovegni - -47- - Desperation.jpg|thumb|right|120px|Suicide by [[hanging]].]]
{{Main|Suicide by hanging}}
When [[hanging]] one's self, the subject uses some type of [[wiktionary:ligature|ligature]], as in a rope or a cord, to form a [[noose]] (or loop) around the throat, with the opposite end secured to some fixture. Depending on the placement of the noose and other factors, the subject will [[strangling|strangle]] and/or suffer a [[cervical fracture|broken neck]]. In the event of death, the actual cause often depends on the length of the drop; that is, the distance the subject falls before the rope goes taut.

In a "short drop", the victim may die from strangulation, in which the death may result from a [[asphyxia|lack of oxygen]] to the brain. The victim is likely to experience [[hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]], skin tingling, dizziness, vision narrowing, [[convulsion]]s, [[shock (circulatory)|shock]], and acute [[respiratory acidosis]]. One or both [[carotid arteries]] and/or the [[jugular vein]] may also be compressed sufficiently to cause [[cerebral ischemia]] and a hypoxic condition in the brain which will eventually result in or contribute to death.

In a typical "long drop", the subject is likely to suffer one or more fractures of the [[cervical vertebrae]], generally between the second and fifth, which may cause [[paralysis]] or death. In extremely long drops, the hanging may result in complete [[decapitation]].

Hanging is the prevalent means of suicide in [[pre-industrial society|pre-industrial societies]], and is more common in [[rural]] areas than in [[Urban area|urban]] areas.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/?id=Zi-xoFAPnPMC|title=Comprehensive Textbook of Suicidology|author=Ronald W. Maris, Alan L. Berman, Morton M. Silverman, Bruce Michael Bongar|isbn=1-57230-541-X|year=2000| publisher=Guildford Press| page=96}}</ref> It is also a common means of suicide in situations where other materials are not readily available, such as in [[prison]]s.

==Vehicular impact==
Committing suicide by deliberately placing oneself in the path of a large and fast-moving vehicle, resulting in fatal impact.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

===Rail===
Suicide is accomplished by throwing oneself directly in front of an oncoming [[train]], or driving a [[car]] onto the tracks.<ref>{{cite journal
|last = Hilkevitch
|first = Jon
|authorlink =
|year = 2004
|month = July
|date = 4
|title = When death rides the rails
|journal = [[Chicago Tribune]]
|volume =
|issue =
|pages =
|id =
|url = http://www.ble.org/pr/news/headline.asp?id=10929
|accessdate = 2009-03-29
}}</ref> Suicide by train impact has resulted in a 90% death rate, making it one of the most fatal suicide methods. Failed attempts may result in profound injuries, such as massive [[fractures]], [[amputations]], [[concussion]] and severe [[brain damage|mental]] and [[physical disability|physical handicapping]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Suicide by Train Is a Growing Concern|author=Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar|work=Los Angeles Times|date=January 26, 2005|url=http://thetransitcoalition.us/news/lat20050126c.htm|postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref>

====Place====
In some [[Europe]]an countries with highly developed [[Rail transport|rail]] networks and strict [[gun control]] laws, such as [[Germany]] and [[Sweden]], railway-related suicide is considered a social problem, and extensive [[research]] has been carried out into this type of suicide. According to these studies, most suicides occur in densely populated areas, but away from [[rail station]]s and terminal points. [[Wood]]ed areas, curves and [[tunnel]]s are especially plagued. Many rail-related suicides occur in proximity to mental health wards. Low land prices close to the railroad lines has led to several mental health wards being located in their proximity, making it easy for suicidal patients to access the tracks.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

====Method and time====
Unlike on [[Rapid transit|underground railways]], in suicides involving above-ground railway lines, the victim will often simply stand or lie on the tracks, waiting for the arrival of the train. As the trains usually travel at high speeds (usually between 80 and 200&nbsp;km/h), the driver is usually unable to bring the train to a halt before the collision. This type of suicide may be traumatizing to the driver of the train and may lead to [[post-traumatic stress disorder]].<ref>{{Cite document|url=http://www.nj.com/insidejersey/index.ssf/2009/06/death_by_train.html|title=Death By Train|date=June 18, 2009|author=Mueller, Mark|publisher=The Star Ledger|postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref>

Suicides on tracks may take place through the person either jumping onto, walking, lying or sitting on the tracks. Accidents resulting from people jumping onto the tracks usually occur at daytime. Accidents including people walking, lying or sitting on the tracks usually occur at night when the driver's visibility is reduced, reducing the chance of a failed suicide. People who commit suicide in this manner usually stay at or around the place for the suicide for an extended period of time before the actual suicide. The victim may lie in between or across the tracks, resulting in decapitation.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

====Europe====
In the [[Netherlands]], as many as 10% of all suicides are rail-related. In [[Germany]], 7% of all suicides occur in this manner, making this type account for the largest share of overall suicides in the country.<ref>{{cite journal | url = http://eurpub.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/16/2/173 | pmid = 16093307 | author-separator =, | author-name-separator= | doi=10.1093/eurpub/cki060 | volume=16 | issue=2 | year=2006 | month=April | pages=173–8 | title = Ten-year incidence and time trends of railway suicides in Germany from 1991 to 2000 | last1 = Baumert | first1 = J. | journal = The European Journal of Public Health | last2 = Erazo | first2 = N | last3 = Ladwig | first3 = KH}}</ref> To deal with an average of three suicide incidents per day, [[Deutsche Bahn]] is operating a sanatorium specifically for traumatized train drivers.<ref name=mehdorn-interview>{{cite news | url = http://www.bild.de/news/wirtschaft/interview/interview-mit-deutsche-bahn-chef-7094000.bild.html | title = Ist Ihnen egal, was die Menschen von Ihnen denken? | publisher = Bild | date = 2009-02-04}}</ref> In recent years, some German train drivers succeeded in getting compensation payments from parents or spouses.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/0,1518,453346,00.html | title = Lokführer erhält Schmerzensgeld vom Witwer einer Selbstmörderin | publisher = Der Spiegel | date = 2006-12-08}}<br/>{{cite news | url = http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/0,1518,787127,00.html | title = Lokführer bekommt Schmerzensgeld von Hinterbliebenen | publisher = Der Spiegel | date = 2011-09-19 }}</ref> In [[Sweden]], less densely populated and with a smaller proportion of the population living in proximity of railroad tracks, 5% of all suicides are rail-related.

====Japan====
Trains on Japanese railroads kill a large number of suicides every year. Suicide by train is seen as something of a social problem, especially in the larger cities such as [[Tokyo]] or [[Nagoya]], because it disrupts train schedules and if one occurs during the morning rush-hour, causes numerous commuters to arrive late for work. However, suicide by train persists despite a common policy among life insurance companies to deny payment to the beneficiary in the event of suicide by train (payment is usually made in the event of most other forms of suicide). Suicides involving the high-speed bullet-train, or ''[[Shinkansen]]'' are extremely rare, as the tracks are usually inaccessible to the public (i.e. elevated and/or protected by tall fences with barbed wire) and legislation mandates additional fines against the suicide victim's family and next-of-kin.

====North America====
According to the [[Federal Railroad Administration]], in the U.S., there are 300 to 500 train suicides a year.<ref>{{Cite document|title=Striving to prevent suicide by train|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/02/09/shining_a_spotlight_on_suicide_by_train/?page=1|author=Noah Bierman|publisher=Boston Globe|date=February 9, 2010|postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref>

====Reducing the number of rail-related suicides====
Methods to reduce the number of rail-related suicides include [[CCTV]] surveillance of stretches where suicides frequently occur, often with direct links to the local [[police]] or surveillance companies. This enables the [[police]] or guards to be on the scene within minutes after the trespassing was noted. Public access to the tracks is also made more difficult by erecting [[fence]]s. Trees and bushes are cut down around the tracks in order to increase driver visibility.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

In southern Sweden, where a suicide hotspot is located south of the university town Lund, CCTV cameras with direct links to the local police have been installed. Similar packages will be installed on other hotspots throughout the nation.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

In the Netherlands, where several suicide hotspots are located by rail tracks next to mental wards, loud speakers and strong lights that activate when trespassing is noted, have been installed next to these hotspots.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

===Metro systems===
Jumping in front of an oncoming [[Rapid transit|subway]] train has a 59% death rate, lower than the 90% death rate for [[Rail transport|rail]]-related suicides. This is most likely because trains traveling on open tracks travel relatively quickly, whereas trains arriving at a subway station are decelerating so that they can stop and board passengers.

Different methods have been used in order to decrease the number of suicide attempts in the underground: for instance, deep drainage pits halve the likelihood of fatality.
Separation of the passengers from the track by means of a partition with sliding doors is being introduced in some stations, but is expensive.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Effect of station design on death in the London Underground: observational study|url=http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/319/7215/957|date=9 October 1999|author= J Coats, D P Walter|pmid=10514158|journal=BMJ|volume=319|issue=7215|page=957|pmc=28249|doi=10.1136/bmj.319.7215.957}}</ref>

===Traffic collisions===
Some car crashes are the deliberate result of suicides. This especially applies to single-occupant, single-vehicle accidents. "The automobile lends itself admirably to attempts at self-destruction because of the frequency of its use, the generally accepted inherent hazards of driving, and the fact that it offers the individual an opportunity to imperil or end his life without consciously confronting himself with his suicidal intent."<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Selzer | first1 = M. L. | last2 = Payne | first2 = C. E. | year = 1992 | title = Automobile accidents, suicide, and unconscious motivation | url = | journal = American Journal of Psychiatry | volume = 119 | issue = | page = 239 |pmid=13910542 | pages = 237–40}}</ref> There is always the risk that a car accident will affect other road users, for example a car that brakes abruptly or swerves to avoid a suicidal pedestrian may get into a collision with something else on the road.

The real percentage of suicides among car accidents is not reliably known; studies by suicide researchers tell that "vehicular fatalities that are suicides vary from 1.6% to 5%".<ref>{{cite journal | year = 1977 | title = Suicide by vehicular crash | url = | journal = American Journal of Psychiatry | volume = 134 | issue = 2| pages = 175–178 | author=Schmidt, Jr., C. W., Shaffer, J. W., Zlotowitz, H. I., Fisher, R. S. |pmid=835740}}</ref> Some suicides are misclassified as accidents, because suicide must be proven; "It is noteworthy that even when suicide is strongly suspected but a suicide note is not found, the case will be classified an 'accident.'"<ref name="accident_or_suicide">{{cite journal | pmid = 7676880 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2248/is_n118_v30/ai_17150135/pg_1 | year = 1995 | last1 = Peck | first1 = DL | last2 = Warner | first2 = K | title = Accident or suicide? Single-vehicle car accidents and the intent hypothesis | volume = 30 | issue = 118 | pages = 463–72 | journal = Adolescence }}</ref>

Some researchers believe that suicides disguised as traffic accidents are far more prevalent than previously thought. One large-scale community survey (in Australia) among suicidal persons provided the following numbers: "Of those who reported planning a suicide, 14.8% (19.1% of male planners and 11.8% of female planners) had conceived to have a motor vehicle "accident"... Of all attempters, 8.3% (13.3% of male attempters) had previously attempted via motor vehicle collision."<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Murray | first1 = D. | last2 = de Leo | first2 = D. | title = Suicidal behavior by motor vehicle collision | journal = Traffic Inj Prev | volume = 8 | issue = 3 | pages = 244–7 | month = September | year = 2007 | doi = 10.1080/15389580701329351 | pmid = 17710713 }}</ref>

===Aircraft===
{{Expand section|date=October 2010}}
Between 1983 and 2003, 36 pilots committed suicide by aircraft in the United States<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 16110685 | year = 2005 | last1 = Bills | first1 = CB | last2 = Grabowski | first2 = JG | last3 = Li | first3 = G | title = Suicide by aircraft: A comparative analysis | volume = 76 | issue = 8 | pages = 715–9 | journal = Aviation, space, and environmental medicine |url=http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asma/asem/2005/00000076/00000008/art00001}}</ref>
There have been instances of suicides involving intentionally crashing aircraft:
*[[2010 Austin plane crash]]
*[[September 11 attacks]]
*[[EgyptAir Flight 990]]
*[[Mitsuyasu Maeno]]
*[[Kamikaze]]

==Poison==
Suicide can be committed by using fast-acting [[poisons]], such as [[hydrogen cyanide]], or substances which are known for their high levels of [[toxicity]] to humans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.yellowworld.org/archive/index.php/t-3947.html |title=Poisoning drugs |publisher=Forums.yellowworld.org |date= |accessdate=2012-01-15}}</ref> For example, most of the people of [[Jonestown]], in northwestern [[Guyana]], died when [[Jim Jones (cult leader)|Jim Jones]], the leader of a [[religious sect]], organized a [[mass suicide]] by drinking a cocktail of [[diazepam]] and [[cyanide]] in 1978.<ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/spot/jonestown1.html Ministry of Terror - The Jonestown Cult Massacre], Elissayelle Haney, Infoplease, 2006.</ref> Sufficient doses of some plants like the [[Atropa belladonna|belladonna]] family, [[castor beans]], ''[[Jatropha curcas]]'' and others, are also toxic. Poisoning through the means of toxic plants, is usually slower and is relatively painful.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/~ingvar/methods/poison.html |title=Poisoning methods |publisher=Ctrl-c.liu.se |date= |accessdate=2012-01-15}}</ref>

===Pesticide===
Worldwide, 30% of suicides are from [[pesticide poisoning]]s. The use of this method, however, varies markedly in different areas of the world, from 4% in Europe to more than 50% in the Pacific region.<ref name="Gunnell D, Eddleston M, Phillips MR, Konradsen F 2007 357">{{cite journal |author=Gunnell D, Eddleston M, Phillips MR, Konradsen F |title=The global distribution of fatal pesticide self-poisoning: Systematic review |journal=BMC Public Health |volume=7|page=357 |year=2007 |pmid=18154668 |pmc=2262093 |doi=10.1186/1471-2458-7-357 |url=}}</ref>
Poisoning by farm chemicals is very common among females in the Chinese countryside, and is regarded as a major social problem in the country.<ref>{{cite news | title=Rural China's suicide problem | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6711415.stm | date=2007-06-04 | accessdate=2010-03-20 | work=BBC News | first=Daniel | last=Griffiths}}</ref> In Finland, the highly lethal pesticide [[Parathion]] was commonly used for suicide in the 1950s. When access to the chemical was restricted, other methods replaced it, leading researchers to conclude that restricting certain suicide methods does little to impact the overall suicide rate.<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1192/bjp.166.1.35|author=A Ohberg, J Lonnqvist, S Sarna, E Vuori and A Penttila|title=Trends and availability of suicide methods in Finland. Proposals for restrictive measures|publisher=The British Journal of Psychiatry|pages=35–43|issue=1|volume=166|journal=The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science|url=http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/abstract/166/1/35|year=1995|pmid=7894873|postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref>

===Drug overdose===
{{Main|Drug overdose}}
[[Overdose]] is a method of suicide which involves taking [[medication]] in doses greater than the indicated levels, or in a combination that will interact to either cause harmful effects or increase the potency of one or other of the substances.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

An overdose is the preferred method of [[Euthanasia|dignified dying]] among members of right-to-die societies. A poll among members of right-to-die society [[Exit International]] has shown that 89% would prefer to take a pill, rather than use a [[Suicide bag|plastic exit bag]], a CO generator, or use 'slow euthanasia'.<ref>[[Philip Nitschke]]. [[The Peaceful Pill Handbook]]. Exit International US, 2007. ISBN 0-9788788-2-5, p 33</ref>

Reliability of this method highly depends on chosen drugs and additional measures like use of [[antiemetic]]s to prevent vomiting. Average fatality rate for overdoses in the US is estimated to be only 1.8%.<ref>Stone, Geo. ''[http://www.suicidemethods.net/ Suicide and Attempted Suicide: Methods and Consequences]''. New York: Carroll & Graf, 2001. ISBN 0-7867-0940-5, p. 230</ref> At the same time, assisted suicide group [[Dignitas (euthanasia group)|Dignitas]] reported no single failure among 840 cases (fatality rate 100%), where an overdose of a former sleeping pill active agent [[Nembutal]] was used in combination with antiemetic drugs.<ref name="tagesspiegel_interview">[http://www.tagesspiegel.de/weltspiegel/Sterbehilfe-Dignitas-Minelli;art1117,2502357 Wenn Sie das trinken, gibt es kein Zurück] ''Tagesspiegel.de'' Retrieved 2008-04-12</ref>

While [[barbiturate]]s (such as Seconal or Nembutal) have long been considered a safe option for suicide, they are becoming increasingly difficult for potential suicide victims to acquire. Dutch right-to-die society WOZZ proposed several safe alternatives to barbiturates for use in euthanasia.<ref>Guide to a Humane Self-Chosen Death by Dr. Pieter Admiraal et al. WOZZ Foundation www.wozz.nl, Delft, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-78581-01-8.</ref> ''[[The Peaceful Pill Handbook]]'' mentions the still easy availability of solutions containing pentobarbital in [[Mexico]], where they are available over-the-counter from [[Veterinary medicine|veterinarians]] for animal [[euthanasia]].

A typical drug overdose uses random prescription and [[over-the-counter substance]]s. In this case, death is uncertain, and an attempt may leave a person alive but with severe [[Organ (anatomy)|organ]] damage, although that itself may in turn eventually prove fatal. Drugs taken orally may also be [[Vomiting|vomited]] back out before being absorbed. Considering the very high doses needed, vomiting or [[loss of consciousness|losing consciousness]] before taking enough of the active agent is often a major problem for people attempting this.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

[[Analgesic]] overdose attempts are among the most common, due to easy availability of over-the-counter substances.<ref>{{cite journal |last =Brock |first =Anita |coauthors = Sini Dominy, Clare Griffiths |date=6th |year = 2003 |month = November |title = Trends in suicide by method in England and Wales, 1979 to 2001 |journal = Health Statistics Quarterly |volume = 20 |pages = 7–18 |issn = 1465-1645 |url = http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/article.asp?ID=1538&Pos=4&ColRank=1&Rank=176 |accessdate = 2007-06-25 }}</ref> Overdose may also be achieved by mixing medications in a cocktail with one another, or with alcohol or illegal drugs. This method may leave confusion over whether the death was a suicide or accidental, especially when alcohol or other judgment-impairing substances are also involved and no [[suicide note]] was left behind.

===Carbon monoxide===
{{Main|Carbon monoxide poisoning#Suicide}}
A particular type of poisoning involves inhalation of high levels of carbon monoxide. Death usually occurs through [[hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]]. In most cases [[carbon monoxide]] (CO) is used because it is easily available as a product of incomplete [[combustion]]; for example, it is released by [[car]]s and some types of [[heater]]s.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless [[gas]], so its presence cannot be detected by sight or smell. It acts by binding preferentially to the [[hemoglobin]] in the victim's blood, displacing oxygen molecules and progressively deoxygenating the blood, eventually resulting in the failure of [[cellular respiration]], and death. Carbon monoxide is extremely dangerous to bystanders and people who may discover the body, so "[[Right to die|Right to Die]]" advocates like [[Philip Nitschke]] recommend the use of safer alternatives like [[nitrogen]], for example in his [[Euthanasia device#Exit's euthanasia device|EXIT euthanasia device]].

In the past, before [[Air Quality Index|air-quality]] regulations and [[catalytic converter]]s, suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning would often be achieved by running a car's engine in a closed space such as a garage, or by redirecting a running car's exhaust back inside the cabin with a hose. [[Exhaust gas|Motor car exhaust]] may have contained up to 25% carbon monoxide. However, catalytic converters found on all modern automobiles eliminate over 99% of carbon monoxide produced.<ref name="Chest1999-vossberg">{{cite journal | author=Vossberg B, Skolnick J. | title=The role of catalytic converters in automobile carbon monoxide poisoning: a case report | journal=Chest | year=1999 | pages=580–1 | volume=115 | issue=2 | pmid=10027464 | doi=10.1378/chest.115.2.580}}</ref> As a further complication, the amount of unburned gasoline in emissions can make exhaust unbearable to breathe well before losing consciousness.

The incidence of suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning through [[charcoal-burning suicide|burning charcoal]], such as a [[barbecue]] in a sealed room, appears to have risen. This has been referred to by some as "death by [[hibachi]]".<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1136/bmj.326.7387.498 | title = Media influence on suicide | year = 2003 | last1 = Howe | first1 = A. | journal = BMJ | volume = 326 | issue = 7387 | page = 498 }}</ref>

===Other toxins===
Detergent-related suicide involves mixing household chemicals to produce [[hydrogen sulfide]] or other [[poison]]ous gases.<ref>[http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iUkmoUiRV1bMiSqP0S0FUNTNn4dg Japanese girl commits suicide with detergent]{{dead link|date=January 2012}}</ref><ref>[http://cscs.txstate.edu/icjs/downloads/Safety%20Alerts/DetergentSuicideCase.pdf CSCS.txstate.edu]{{dead link|date=January 2012}}</ref><ref>[http://www.tena911.org/ChemicalSuicideMemo%5B1%5D.pdf Tena911.org]{{dead link|date=January 2012}}</ref><ref>[http://www.dcfa.org/Files/Docs%202010/ChemicalSuicide%200210.pdf DCFA.org]</ref> The suicide rates by domestic gas fell from 1960 to 1980.<ref>{{Cite document|title=Changes in the methods used for suicide in 16 countries from 1960 to 1980|author=D Lester|publisher=Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica|date=1990|url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119996644/abstract|postscript=<!--None-->|doi=10.1111/j.1600-0447.1990.tb06492.x|journal=Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica|volume=81|issue=3|pages=260–261|pmid=2343750}}</ref>

Several creatures, such as spiders, snakes, and scorpions, carry venoms that can easily and quickly kill a person. These substances can be used to conduct suicide. For example, [[Cleopatra]] supposedly had an [[Asp (reptile)|asp]] bite her when she heard of [[Marc Antony]]'s death.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

==Disease==
There have been several documented cases of deliberately contracting a fatal disease such as [[AIDS]] as a means of suicide.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Frances, Richard J.; Wikstrom, Thomas; Alcena, Valiere|journal=The American Journal of Psychiatry|year=1985|volume=142|issue=5|page=656}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Flavin, Daniel K.; Franklin, John E.; Frances, Richard J.|journal=The American Journal of Psychiatry|year=1986|volume=143|issue=11|page=1440-1442}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Ronald W. Maris, Alan L. Berman, Morton M. Silverman and Bruce M. Bongar|title=Comprehensive textbook of suicidology|publisher=Guilford Press|year=2000|page=161|isbn=978-1-57230-541-0}}</ref>

==Immolation==
{{Main|Self-immolation}}
[[Self-immolation|Immolation]] usually refers to suicide by [[fire]]. It has been used as a protest tactic, most famously by [[Thích Quảng Đức]] in 1963 to protest the [[South Vietnam]]ese government's systematic anti-Buddhist, pro-Catholic policies; by [[Malachi Ritscher]] in 2006 to protest the [[United States of America|United States]]' involvement in the [[Iraq War]]; and by [[Mohamed Bouazizi]] in [[Tunisia]] which ignited the [[Tunisian Revolution]] in 2011 and the [[Arab Spring]].{{citation needed|date=October 2010}}

Self-immolation was also carried out as a ritual known as ''[[Sati (practice)|sati]]'' in certain parts of [[India]], where a [[Hindu]] wife immolated herself in her dead husband's funeral pyre, either voluntarily or by coercion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sos-sexisme.org/english/sati2.htm |title=SATI |publisher=Sos-sexisme.org |date= |accessdate=2010-07-26}}</ref>

The [[Latin]] root of "immolate" means "sacrifice", and is not restricted to the use of fire, though in common US media usage the term immolation refers to suicide by fire.

This method of suicide is relatively rare due to the long and painful experience one has to go through before [[death]] sets in. This is also contributed to by the ever-present [[risk]] that the fire is extinguished before death sets in, and in that way causes one to live with severe [[burn]]ings, scar tissue, and the emotional impact of such horrific injuries.

==Volcano==
Suicide by [[volcano]] involves jumping into molten [[lava]] in an active [[volcanic crater]], [[fissure vent]], [[lava flow]] or [[lava lake]]. The actual cause of death may be as a result of the fall (see [[Suicide methods#Jumping from height|jumping from height]]), contact burns, radiant heat or asphyxiation from volcanic gases. Suicides have taken place in numerous volcanoes but the most famous is [[Mount Mihara]] in [[Japan]]. In 1933, [[Kiyoko Matsumoto]] committed suicide by jumping into the Mihara crater. A trend of copycat suicides followed, with 944 people jumping into the same crater over the following year.<ref>{{cite book|author=Diana Kendall|title=Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials|publisher=Cengage Learning|year=2011|page=24|isbn=1-111-30550-1}}</ref> Over 1200 people attempted suicide in two years before a barrier was erected.<ref>{{cite book|author=Cedric A. Mims|title=When we die|publisher=Robinson|year=1998|page=40|isbn=1-85487-529-9}}</ref> The original barrier was replaced with a higher fence topped with barbed wire after another 619 people jumped in 1936.<ref>{{cite book|author=Edward Robb Ellis and George N. Allen|title=Traitor within: our suicide problem|publisher=Doubleday|year=1961|page=98}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Jumpers|publisher=The New Yorker|date=October 13, 2003}}</ref>

==Ritual suicide==
Ritual suicide is performed in a prescribed way, often as part of a religious or cultural practice.
===Seppuku===
{{main|Seppuku}}
''Seppuku'' (colloquially ''hara-kiri'' "belly slitting") is a [[Japan]]ese [[ritual]] method of suicide, practiced mostly in the medieval era, though some isolated cases appear in modern times. For example, [[Yukio Mishima]] committed seppuku in 1970 after a failed ''[[coup d'état]]'' intended to restore full power to the [[Hirohito|Japanese emperor]].<ref>Nathan, John. ''Mishima: A biography'', Little Brown and Company: Boston/Toronto, 1974.</ref> Unlike other methods of suicide, this was regarded as a way of preserving one's honor. The ritual is part of ''[[bushido]]'', the code of the ''[[samurai]]''.

As originally performed solely by an individual, it was an extremely painful method by which to die. Dressed ceremonially, with his [[sword]] placed in front of him and sometimes seated on special cloth, the [[warrior]] would prepare for death by writing a [[death poem]]. The samurai would open his ''[[kimono]]'', take up his ''[[wakizashi]]'' (short sword), [[Japanese war fan|fan]], or a ''[[tantō]]'' and plunge it into his [[Human abdomen|abdomen]], making first a left-to-right cut and then a second slightly upward stroke. As the custom evolved, a selected attendant (''[[kaishakunin]]'', his second) stood by, and on the second stroke would perform ''[[daki-kubi]]'', where the warrior is all but [[Decapitation|decapitated]] leaving only a slight band of flesh attaching the head to the body, so as to not let the head fall off and roll on the ground, which was considered dishonorable in feudal Japan. The act eventually became so highly ritualistic that the samurai would only have to reach for his sword, and his ''kaishakunin'' would execute the killing stroke. Later still, there would be no sword, but something like a fan for which the samurai would reach.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

===Autosacrifice===
[[Human sacrifice]] was a religious activity throughout [[Mesoamerica]]. In [[Aztec]] and [[Mayan civilization|Maya]] culture, autosacrifice involving self-[[decapitation]] by priests and kings is depicted in artworks.<ref>Cecelia Klein. "The Ideology of Autosacrifice at the Templo Mayor" in E. H. Boone, ed. ''The Aztec Templo Mayor'' pp. 293-370. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks. 1987 ISBN 0-88402-149-1</ref><ref name="KremerFlores">{{cite journal|title=The Ritual Suicide of Maya Rulers|author=Jürgen Kremer and Fausto Uc Flores|journal=Eighth Palenque Round Table|volume=10|year=1993|page=79-91|publisher=Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute}}</ref> The sacrifice is usually depicted holding an [[obsidian]] knife or axe to the side of the neck.<ref name="KremerFlores"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.famsi.org/research/kerr/articles/xbalanque/index.html|title=The Transformation of Xbalanqué or The Many Faces of God A1|author=Justin Kerr|publisher=Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies}}</ref>

Some forms of [[Durga]] worship in [[India]]n [[Hinduism]] involve a male devotee offering himself as a sacrifice through ritual self-decapitation with a curved sword. This is designed to obtain a favor from the deity for a third party.<ref>{{cite book|author=Miranda Eberle Shaw|title=Buddhist goddesses of India|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=2006|page=416|isbn=0-691-12758-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=George Cœdès|title=The Indianized states of Southeast Asia|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|year=1968|page=101|isbn=0-8248-0368-X}}</ref>

==Starvation==
{{Main|Starvation}}
A [[hunger strike]] may ultimately lead to death. Starvation has been used by [[Hindu]] and [[Jain]] monks as a ritual method of penance (known as [[Prayopavesa]] and [[Santhara]] respectively), and [[Catharism|Albigensians or Cathars]] also fasted after receiving the 'consolamentum' sacrament, in order to die while in a morally perfect state.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

This method of death is often associated with political protest, such as the [[1981 Irish Hunger Strike]] during which 7 [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|IRA]] and 3 [[Irish National Liberation Army|INLA]] POWs died in H-Blocks of [[Long Kesh]] prison. The explorer [[Thor Heyerdahl]] refused to eat or take medication for the last month of his life, after having been diagnosed with cancer.<ref>{{cite news
|publisher= The Guardian
|url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2002/apr/19/travelnews.internationaleducationnews.highereducation1
|accessdate = 2009-07-06
|title = Thor Heyerdahl dies at 87
|location=London
|first=Tim
|last=Radford
|date=2002-04-19
}}</ref>

==Dehydration==
{{main|Terminal dehydration}}
Death from dehydration can take from several days to a few weeks. This means that unlike many other suicide methods, it cannot be accomplished impulsively. Those who die by terminal dehydration typically lapse into unconsciousness before death, and may also experience [[delirium]] and deranged [[serum sodium]].<ref>{{Cite document|title=Science, Hospice and Terminal Dehydration|author=Baumrucker, Steven|publisher=American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine|volume=16|date=May/June 1999|issue=3|postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> Discontinuation of hydration does not produce true thirst, although a sensation of dryness of the mouth often is reported as "thirst." The evidence this is not true thirst is extensive and shows the ill feeling is not relieved by giving fluids intravenously, but is relieved by wetting the tongue and lips and proper care of the mouth. Patients with [[edema]] tend to take longer to die of dehydration because of the excess fluid in their bodies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.preciouslegacy.com/chap13.html|title=Treatment of Pain and Suffering in the Terminally Ill|author=Lieberson, Alan D.|postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref>

Terminal dehydration has been described as having substantial advantages over physician-assisted suicide with respect to self-determination, access, professional integrity, and social implications. Specifically, a patient has a right to refuse treatment and it would be a personal assault for someone to force water on a patient, but such is not the case if a doctor merely refuses to provide lethal medication.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://archinte.highwire.org/cgi/content/summary/153/24/2723|title=Patient Refusal of Hydration and Nutrition|author= James L. Bernat, MD; Bernard Gert, PhD; R. Peter Mogielnicki, MD|date=27 December 1993|volume=153|issue=24|publisher=Archives of Internal Medicine|pmid=8257247|doi=10.1001/archinte.1993.00410240021003|issue=24|pages=2723–8|journal=Archives of Internal Medicine}}</ref> But it also has distinctive drawbacks as a humane means of voluntary death.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.annals.org/content/128/7/559.abstract|title=Voluntary Death: A Comparison of Terminal Dehydration and Physician-Assisted Suicide|author=Miller, Franklin G. and Meier, Diane E.|publisher=Annals of Internal Medicine|year=2004|pmid=9518401|volume=128|issue=7|pages=559–62|journal=Annals of internal medicine}}</ref> One survey of hospice nurses found that nearly twice as many had cared for patients who chose voluntary refusal of food and fluids to hasten death as had cared for patients who chose physician-assisted suicide.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Death by Voluntary Dehydration — What the Caregivers Say|url=http://nejm.highwire.org/cgi/content/extract/349/4/325|author=Jacobs, Sandra|volume=349|pages=325–326|date=July 24, 2003|publisher=New England Journal of Medicine|pmid=12878738|doi=10.1056/NEJMp038115|issue=4|journal=The New England Journal of Medicine}}</ref> They also rated fasting and dehydration as causing less suffering and pain and being more peaceful than physician-assisted suicide.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Terminally Ill Choose Fasting Over M.D.-Assisted Suicide|author=Arehart-Treichel, Joan|journal=Psychiatric News|date=January 16, 2004|volume=39|pages=15–51|publisher=American Psychiatric Association|issue=2|postscript=<!--None-->|url=http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/39/2/15.full}}</ref> Other sources, however, have noted very painful side effects of dehydration, including seizures, skin cracking and bleeding, blindness, nausea, vomiting, cramping and severe headaches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/003/370oqiwy.asp |title=Weeklystandard.com |publisher=Weeklystandard.com |date=2003-11-11 |accessdate=2012-01-15}}</ref> There can be a fine line between [[terminal sedation]] that results in death by dehydration and [[euthanasia]].<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://nejm.highwire.org/cgi/content/extract/337/17/1236|title=The Supreme Court and Physician-Assisted Suicide — Rejecting Assisted Suicide but Embracing Euthanasia|date=October 23, 1997|volume=337 |publisher=New England Journal of Medicine|issue=17|pmid=9340517|doi=10.1056/NEJM199710233371713|last1=Orentlicher|first1=D|pages=1236–9|journal=The New England Journal of Medicine|postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref>

==Explosion==
{{Expand section|date=October 2010}}
Another method is death by explosion. High-explosives (such as [[dynamite]], [[Trinitrotoluene|TNT]], and [[C-4 (explosive)|C4]]) that are certain to explode and release an extreme amount of energy are often used to avoid unnecessary pain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/~ingvar/methods/other.html |title=Methods of suicide |publisher=Ctrl-c.liu.se |date= |accessdate=2012-01-15}}</ref>

==Suicide attack==
{{Main|Suicide attack}}
A [[suicide attack]] is an attack in which the attacker (''attacker'' being either an individual or a group) intends to kill others and intends to die in the process of doing so (e.g. [[Columbine High School massacre|Columbine]], [[Virginia Tech massacre|Virginia Tech]] and [[9/11]]). In a suicide attack in the strictest sense, the attacker dies by the attack itself, for example in an explosion or crash caused by the attacker. The term is sometimes loosely applied to an incident in which the intention of the attacker is not clear, though he is almost sure to die by the defense or retaliation of the attacked party, e.g., "[[suicide by cop]]", that is, menacing or assaulting an armed police officer with a weapon or apparent or proclaimed harmful intent which all but ensures that the cop will use deadly force to terminate the attack. This can also be referred to as murder/suicide.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

Such attacks are typically motivated by religious or political ideologies, and have been carried out using numerous methods. For example, attackers might attach [[explosive]]s directly to their bodies before [[Detonation|detonating]] themselves close to their target, also known as [[suicide attack]]. They may use a [[car bomb]] or other machinery to cause maximum damage (e.g. Japanese ''[[kamikaze]]'' pilots during [[World War II]]).{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

Additionally, teenage students (most often in the US, and recently in Finland and Germany) have committed several notable suicide attacks in recent years, in the form of school shooting massacres. Often, these suicide attacks involve guns or homemade [[bomb]]s brought into high schools or college campuses. After the attack, the perpetrator will commit suicide before being apprehended.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

==Indirect suicide==
Indirect suicide is the act of setting out on an obviously fatal course without directly committing the act upon oneself. Indirect suicide is differentiated from legally defined suicide by the fact that the actor does not pull the figurative (or literal) trigger. Examples of indirect suicide include a soldier enlisting in the army with the express intention and expectation of being killed in combat. Another example would be provoking an armed officer into using lethal force against them. This is generally called "[[suicide by cop]]". In some instances the subject commits a capital crime in hope of being [[death penalty|sentenced to death]].{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

==See also==
* [[Suicide prevention]]
* [[The Complete Manual of Suicide]]

==Further reading==
* [[Derek Humphry|Humphry, Derek]]. ''[[Final Exit|Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying]]''. Dell. 1997.
* [[Philip Nitschke]]. [[The Peaceful Pill Handbook]]. Exit International US, 2007. ISBN 0-9788788-2-5
* Stone, Geo. ''Suicide and Attempted Suicide: Methods and Consequences''. New York: Carroll & Graf, 2001. ISBN 0-7867-0940-5
* Guide to a Humane Self-Chosen Death by Dr. Pieter Admiraal et al. WOZZ Foundation, Delft, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-78581-01-8. 112 pages
* Docker, Chris ''Five Last Acts'' 2nd edition 2010. ISBN 978-1-4538-6937-6. 414 pages.

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/93/6/351.full Doctors who commit suicide] Doctors who commit suicide, methods and statistics
* [http://lostallhope.com/suicide-methods/statistics-most-lethal-methods Effectiveness of suicide methods] Suicide methods by effectiveness and agony

{{DEFAULTSORT:Suicide Methods}}
[[Category:Suicide]]
[[Category:Suicide methods]]

[[fa:روش‌های خودکشی]]
[[fr:Mode de suicide]]
[[hi:आत्महत्या के तरीके]]
[[it:Metodi di suicidio]]
[[sv:Självmordsmetoder]]
[[te:ఆత్మహత్య పధ్ధతులు]]
[[tr:İntihar yöntemleri]]

Revision as of 06:17, 17 June 2012

Why? To give people ideas of how to commit suicide? Wow.

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