h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Have recently tried to research on behalf of a friend in growing pain from terminal cancer practical ways of leaving and of controlling the method and timing of it herself. My points are the following:

1. I hesitate to publish any of my own findings here, since my impression is that overall readership of H2G2 is young, college age, etc many of whom will still be trailing adolescent preoccupations with morbidity. I'm sorry if this sounds patronising but actions have consequences and I aint gonna take risks.
2. It's amazing how hard it is to find practical advice on self-deliverance on the Net. The full moral debate is there, and quite a lot on the law, living wills, etc. But otherwise a big fat zilch.
3. If you go surfing on the subject, beware signing up to sites operated by the religiose who will patronise you with e-mails telling you life isn't so bad after all, etc.
4. Go, in the end, to the second hand book market and get out-of-print book Final Exit by Derek Humphry who does offer practical help. In an ideal world this would be backed up by a country-by-country guide to what drugs, etc. are available under what conditions i.e. prescription only/ over the counter/ etc.
5. If for whatever reason you've decided to do it, for heavens sake research it. There are 3 good reasons for this:
a) It builds in delay. No-one should kill themselves because it seems like a good idea at the time.
b) You can avoid crippling yourself or making your life yet more miserable. Included in this is brain damage and kidney damage from inappropriate use of chemicals.
c) Consideration for those you care about who may discover you or otherwise deal with the aftermath.

Young men in particular should avoid flirting with the idea of violent and dramatic deaths, which show the greatest potential for going wrong. A study of those who had attempted suicide by jumping from a great height and then survived showed that nearly all of them had changed their mind on the way down!