Feed on
Posts
Comments
«
»

Shortage of helium worldwide

Aug 27th, 2012 by

There are reports in the financial pages that there is currently a worldwide shortage of the inert gas helium and the price is going up. Helium is extensively used in science, industry and medicine. A few people use helium, together with a hood kit, to bring their terminal illness to a peaceful, painless end (or plan to do so later on)
ERGO and the Final Exit Network are getting reports that helium is not easily available (in party balloon kits) from stores in North America. This may be partly due to August not being a big party time, and stores have let stocks diminish until nearer Christmastime.
Persons with helium hood kits are advised to get in a stock of two helium tanks now, and store them away securely. Tanks are probably secure for 2-3 years.
If you have recent experience of purchasing — or not being able to purchase — helium, please let ERGO know on this blog, or email ergo@finalexit.org
The amount of helium used in choice in dying is infinitesimal compared to the amount used in industry and science, so it is not likely to go away.
BTW, nitrogen is an inert gas and equally effective in self-deliverance.
++++++++++

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Posted in Assisted dying, Assisted Suicide, death, Euthanasia, Final Exit, GLADD, Mercy Killing, right to die, RTD News, RTD Organizations, Self-Deliverance, Suicide (rational)

6 Responses to “Shortage of helium worldwide”

  1. candide001 says:
    September 6, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    Amazon still has the balloon party kits in stock. The prices don’t seem to have gone up much. But this is discouraging. First barbiturates become very difficult to obtain and when you can get them, the price is astronomical. Marathon has raised the price of 100 mg Seconal capsules once again. Now they’re $345 for 30! And now the helium shortage. They’re making this harder than it should be.

  2. pjkelly says:
    October 16, 2012 at 8:16 pm

    I am convinced that the helium method is the best method for self-deliverance, but every time I do a search on the topic, I am lead to misleading information which takes me from 100% certain to 955 certain.

    Can you PLEASE address the following concerns.

    1) Specifically address the blog posts to “The Suicide Project” which claim many failures with the helium method.
    2) The Australian Group that claims you need an expensive regulator in order for the method to work.
    3) The last time I posted about this to this website, you stated that it was 100% guaranteed to work…”BUT YOU MUST USE 100% PURE HELIUM!” How can I guarantee that the party balloon kits will meet this caveat??? This only lead to further confusion and hesitation.

    Why are you introducing doubt into the method? If there is are reasons that the method won’t work, PLEASE BE EXPLICIT!!!

    I am under extreme mental, emotional and physical pain and need to know for certain that when I undertake this method that there is nothing I am missing! I’m not in doubt about my intentions, I’m in doubt about all the conflicting information.

    I appreciate your work but there seem to be so many unanswered questions that are just left to chance. PLEASE CLARIFY!!! My desire is to end the suffering I have endured for seven years, not increase the suffering of those around me by making an obvious mistake. There seems to be so much contradictory information on the web about this subject that I feel you need to be 100% clear about describing the method and what the possible consequences are if one makes a mistake!

    Thank you in advance, Pat

    ANSWERS:

    TO # 1: I am not responsible for the wild, scare talk on the internet by people who are just showing off, or are deranged, or are trying to sabotage the right-to-die movement. Heed them at your peril.
    To # 2: The Australian group EXIT holds that various valves and gadgets are necessary. ERGO and the Final Exit Network (with huge experience over 12 years) does not. A person must make their own judgment in the marketplace.
    To # 3: To get pure helium, a person must buy from a reputable company, such as the famous ones who sell party balloon kits to kids. Available via Amazon.com and toy stores. We have yet to hear of any case of diluted helium, although we recommend two tanks just in case one is empty.
    The precise way to use this method of self-deliverance from a terminal or hopeless illness is contained in the book/ebook ‘Final Exit’ and its addendum.
    — Derek Humphry, founder of the Hemlock Society in l980.

  3. pjkelly says:
    October 17, 2012 at 7:24 pm

    Thank you for your clarifications. I don’t understand why people want to interfere with other people’s right to make their own choices about life and how much suffering they are willing to endure. I know its futile, but I wish society were more compassionate when it comes to these choices. I guess no one will ever know until something happens to them that takes them to that decision. I’m grateful for your work and it gives me comfort to know that I DON’T have to live in pain, despite what everyone around me thinks is best. The cruelest thing I’ve found is that when you bring up the topic with family and friends, they immediately decide that the topic is not up for discussion and how quickly they will abandon you when you try to talk about your pain and the possible outcomes. Inevitably, upon trying to discuss this topic with anyone, they immediately decide to stop talking to me; including and most obviously, any “health care professional”. They seem to be the worst offenders and immediately want you out of their office and into a horrible hospital experience for even bringing up the topic.

    thanks again for answering my questions. My frustration was not directed at you, it was directed at the attitudes of society in regards to the topic of self-deliverance.

  4. Brown75 says:
    November 12, 2012 at 4:06 pm

    I recently purchased ‘Final Exit’ and have procured all the items required for this method per the book’s instruction. My only question is in regard to the flow of the party balloon canisters. Should they both be FULLY opened or just opened half-way?

  5. ergo says:
    December 4, 2012 at 11:25 am

    Taps on party balloon helium tanks are a bit crude, but open them as slowly as is possible.

  6. tm3278 says:
    August 12, 2013 at 3:05 pm

    As to how long the party balloon helium tanks will last- I have two I bought in 2006 and they both pressure test at 240 psi. According to exit international research new party balloon tanks test at 250 psi – so these tanks have lost very little helium after being stored for almost 7 years.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.