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Suicide kits rekindle debate on assisted suicide

The Columbian
Published: May 25, 2011, 5:00pm

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon bill that would outlaw suicide kits has helped rekindle a debate over the ethical and legal implications of what it means to assist a suicide.

Sales of helium hood kits have been on the rise over the last decade partly because of the Internet. Blogs explain how to get a kit and YouTube videos demonstrate how to use one.

But state laws on assisted-suicide are murky and often unclear about what it means to assist or aid someone.

Appalled Oregon lawmakers are working to crack down on the kits after a 29-year-old Eugene man killed himself in December by using a kit bought by mail order for $60 from a 91-year-old woman in California. The woman said Wednesday her home was raided by federal agents.

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