# Plastic Bag Death, How?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 26, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458 "2011-12-26T20:57:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2022, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/41 "2022-01-01T20:12:13Z")
A guy that I used to work with, who I thought was reasonably happy with his life, bought a small tank of nitrous oxide, the stuff dentists use as happy gas, and bagged his head and went away probably painless.
There was no indication that he had any problems at all. What his wife had to say after was only, “at least now he is free of his demons.”
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2022, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/42 "2022-01-02T05:03:14Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#):
>
> There was no indication that he had any problems at all. What his wife had to say after was only, “at least now he is free of his demons.”
Let’s hope you can’t take your demons with you when you go. Does anybody really know?
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### Author:  [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2022, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/43 "2022-01-02T19:51:18Z")
Well, if you’re lucky (ie good), then you’ll go up and they’ll go down.
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### Author:  [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2022, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/44 "2022-01-02T22:59:47Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#):
>
> A guy that I used to work with, who I thought was reasonably happy with his life, bought a small tank of nitrous oxide, the stuff dentists use as happy gas, and bagged his head and went away probably painless.
I presume too, using a non-oxygen medium in an inflated bag means your body eliminates the CO2 into the bag very dilute, instead of the concentration building up to the point where it triggers the breathing panic reflex.
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### Author:  [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/45 "2022-01-19T00:08:10Z")
My wife and I decided not to have children. I got a vasectomy. When people ask me why, I tell 'em it was because of a warning I saw on a dry-cleaner’s bag. It said, “To avoid danger of suffocation and death, keep away from babies and small children.”
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### Author:  [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/46 "2022-01-19T02:20:21Z")
I used to “Pick up dead body.” as my friend’s wife said.
I did it a dozen or so times and every time, the person had pooed and peed. My friend who had been doing it for years said it was normal. The worse was when they were on their back and you turn them over. Wooooof…poo and pee beneath them.
As for an erection, never saw it, but it possible, or at least looks like it according to this article:
_2. You (sort of) get an erection._
If you die face-down, your blood could also conceivably settle in your penis—which creates the appearance of a boner. But the chances of going out with a bang are pretty slim, says Judy Melinek, M.D., forensic pathologist and coauthor of _Working_ _Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner_ .
It’s actually more possible that your penis will look like it’s ejaculated after you’ve died. “Sometimes we’ll find discharge near the [penis](https://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/g19547281/15-facts-you-didnt-know-about-your-penis/) on a corpse, but this comes from the passive seeping of fluid from the prostate gland,” Dr. Melinek says. “It’s leakage—not ejaculate.”
[https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19547721/body-effects-after-death/](https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19547721/body-effects-after-death/)
Edit: This makes sense, since the blood is no longer circulating and will naturally flow downward. The first time I saw an embalming, I wondered why the mortician was massaging the person’s hand. He explained that he had to force the fluid into the extremities because there’s no circulation.
Can’t find it right now, but I’ve also read folktales of men ejaculating when they’re hung. By a rope around the neck BTW! 😊
I’ve also experienced the very first person I picked up, “snore” on the gurney. I looked at my friend who didn’t flinch and I didn’t say anything until we got in the van. He just laughed and said it was normal. I heard it a couple of times after, but never as loud.
_5. You moan and groan._
When doctors try to resuscitate a person, they pump extra air into the patient’s lungs and stomach. But after you’ve died, that air can still escape—especially if someone applies pressure to your chest or stomach while moving your body, says Dr. Melinek.
And since that air is flowing past your vocal chords, it can cause a legit grunting sound. Which is obviously terrifying.
[Weird Things That Happen to Your Body after Death | Men's Health](https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19547721/body-effects-after-death/)]([Weird Things That Happen to Your Body after Death | Men's Health](https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19547721/body-effects-after-death/))
The other thing that freaked me out on my first pickup is that most of the calls I went to with my friend were those on death watch, we usually arrived within hours of the death and usually the body temp shoots up like a fever. To get the sheet under them, you have to put your arms around the back or front and roll them to the side. Sure feels like they’re still alive!
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### Author:  [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/47 "2022-01-19T02:31:01Z")
Yeah, they do kind of snore when moved. And when resuscitation is attempted. The lips quiver wildly and it sounds like Big Bird snoring.
Kla-wawawawawawawa-wa!
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### Author:  [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/48 "2022-01-19T02:35:39Z")
Mods. I hope this is okay.
I saw a video on Public Access a long time ago that showed how to commit suicide.
[Moderator Note - detailed instructions removed]
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### Author:  [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/49 "2022-01-19T02:37:46Z")
Yeah, the first time was long snore. I was sure she was still alive! It didn’t sound like exhaling, it sounded like an inhale!
My friend said a body once sat up on him at the morgue after he got the body on the gurney.
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### Author:  [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/50 "2022-01-19T02:42:57Z")
> [@Didi44](#):
>
> On another show, this guy showed how breathing CO2 from a mask would make you pass out and eventually suffocate because you won’t notice the lack of oxygen.
This is incorrect.
When you hold your breath for a while, CO2 buildup in your lungs is the thing that gives you a desperate urge to breathe. Carbon dioxide, inhaled at high concentrations, is extremely painful. I tried inhaling the gas from a zip-loc bag containing dry ice once, and it was agonizing.
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### Author:  [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/51 "2022-01-19T02:54:17Z")
_Carbon dioxide does not only cause asphyxiation by hypoxia but also acts as a toxicant. At high concentrations, it has been showed to cause unconsciousness almost instantaneously and respiratory arrest within 1 min [[6](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR6)]._
_Other causes of carbon dioxide intoxication have been identified as well, such as dry ice. Dry ice undergoes sublimation (direct conversion from a solid state into a gas), and if it is warmed rapidly, large amounts of CO2 are generated, which is especially dangerous in closed environments [[7](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR7)–[9](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR9)]. Dry ice intoxication might be accidental [[1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR1), [7](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR7), [10](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR10), [11](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR11)] or deliberately as several suicide cases have been described [[8](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR8), [9](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR9)]. Massive geothermal emissions have also been described as a possible cause of CO2 intoxications, though in these cases, a relation with other toxic gasses inhaled might not be excluded [[12](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR12), [13](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR13)]. We performed this literature review to understand the contribution of CO2 specifically to “confined space hypoxic syndrome,” and wanted to make physicians more aware of the condition._
\*### Results
#### CO2 toxicity in animal models
Tests performed on mongrel dogs show the physiological effect of carbon dioxide on the body: after inhalation of a 50% CO2 and 50% air mixture, respiratory movement increased for about 2 min, and then, it decreased for 30–90 min. Hill and Flack showed that CO2 concentrations up to 35% have an exciting effect upon both circulation and respiration, but those beyond 35% are depressant upon them [[6](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR6), [14](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR14)]. The blood pressure (BP) decreased transiently during the increased respiratory movement and then rose again and maintained the original level for a while. The heart rate slowed slightly just after the gas mixture inhalation. It is believed that the initial BP depression with the decreased heart rate is due to the direct depressant effect of CO2 upon the heart and that the return of blood pressure to its original level was due to the rapid rise of PaCO2. After 30–90 min, the respiratory center was depressed, and hypotension occurred gradually or suddenly from reduced cardiac output, leading to an apnea and eventually to circulatory arrest [[6](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR6)].
_In higher concentrations of CO2, unconsciousness occurred almost instantaneously and respiratory movement ceased in 1 min. After a few minutes of apnea, circulatory arrest was seen. These findings show that the cause of death in breathing high concentrations of CO2 is not the hypoxia but the intoxication of carbon dioxide [[6](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#CR6)]._
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#:~:text=Carbon%20dioxide%20does%20not%20only,well%2C%20such%20as%20dry%20ice.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380556/#:~:text=Carbon%20dioxide%20does%20not%20only,well%2C%20such%20as%20dry%20ice.)
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### Author:  [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/52 "2022-01-19T03:02:52Z")
Removed for content because my other post was edited.
Sorry and thank you Mods.
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/53 "2022-01-19T03:04:38Z")
> [@Didi44](#):
>
> Mods. I hope this is okay.
There’s no problem discussing this topic or even in giving some generalities, but we don’t want complete and detailed “how-to” type of posts here. We don’t want the Straight Dope to become anybody’s handy reference for how to commit suicide.
Keep it a bit less detailed and specific, please.
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### Author:  [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/54 "2022-01-19T03:05:59Z")
Thank you.
Please review the post above my last.and I’ll drop from this thread.
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/55 "2022-01-19T03:07:29Z")
The post that you removed is OK since it doesn’t give step by step instructions. Let me know if you want it restored. Your other post (the one above that) is acceptable as well.
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### Author:  [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/56 "2022-01-19T03:10:29Z")
Thank you. No.
I think it’s best to leave off where I have.
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/57 "2022-01-19T03:15:43Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#):
>
> I tried inhaling the gas from a zip-loc bag containing dry ice once, and it was agonizing.
I have done a lot of work in breweries, and CO2 in a large brewery is a very real danger. While CO2 in high concentrations is painful to breathe, you can’t rely on that painful sensation to reliably detect CO2 in dangerous concentrations.
Someone I work with was working in an equipment pit and felt lightheaded, and fortunately was thinking clearly enough that he quickly got out of that location. If he had passed out, there’s a very good chance that he would have died. He never felt anything other than lightheaded, so there was no warning from any burning sensation or anything like that.
CO2 is heavier than air so it tends to collect in low lying areas in breweries.
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/58 "2022-01-19T04:26:22Z")
I once saw a cage of hamsters killed by CO2 poisoning. It was in a medical research lab, and I don’t remember why they were being “sacrificed”, but they were obviously in agony, and it was horrible to watch. There’s no way I will ever intentionally put myself in a position of possibly dying of CO2 poisoning.
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### Author:  [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/59 "2022-01-19T10:42:46Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#):
>
> Well, until this last year I didn’t realize that the four people I know of who died suddenly at a young age (\<40) all likely died of accidental or deliberate overdose. Only after the fifth instance did my teenager suggested that a lot of the phrases in the announcements were euphemisms did I cotton on.
کمزور دل right?
Or سو گیا اور نہیں جاگا۔
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### Author:  [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2022, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-bag-death-how/607458/60 "2022-01-19T10:59:59Z")
No. The obits were in English.
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