Hemlock Society

Today marks the anniversary of the death Fletcher Knebel in 1993.  He was a best selling author from 1962, "Seven Days in May" to 1986, "Sabotage".  Two interesting toxicology tidbits surround his death. 

First, Fletcher commited suicide by taking an overdose of "sleeping pills".   Rarely will a benzodiazepine alone cause death.  When taken in sufficient quantity with another similar drug, like ethanol, then a bad outcome is possible.  Mix your sleeping pill with ethanol and some pain killers then the likely of have a bad outcome increases.  But sleeping pills alone, it just doesn't happen.  In 1993 there were still some bad sleeping pills available.  Drugs that stayed in the body for too long, like flurazepam.  That lead to waking up with a hangover.  Others just put you out a little too deeply, secobarbital.  I suspect, in Fletcher Knebel's suicide, he took his secobarbital and mixed it with a benzodiazepine and maybe more. 

Second interesting tidbit is that Fletcher was a member of the Hemlock Society.  The Hemlock Society was a group that dedicated themselves to the "Right to Die" movement.  They believed in legalized suicide.  Fletcher was suffering from lung cancer and heart disease.  He decided that his time had come, and acted on it.  The Hemlock Society has since been laid to rest.  Here is an interesting piece on the history of the Hemlock Society.   While the Hemlock Society has morphed into a new organization, the fight for the right to die continues.  Right to die conjures up many controversial thoughts and images.  For my part I think of every physician, pharmacist and nurse that is asked to help a patient end their life.  I pray that none of us will never be in that predicament.