(and resuscitated). To reduce the risk of this, drugs that bring about sleep, loss of consciousness, and death shortly after are the priority. This is one clear advantage of the barbiturate, Nembutal, is that sleep will occur within minutes of consumption of the drug (which is followed by alcohol). Death usually follows within the hour. Other drugs discussed in this book, however, have a much longer ‘window period’. For example, the window period for the propoxyphene/oxazepam combination may be a matter of hours. Because of this, careful planning may be needed in order to reduce the chance of discovery during the time between the drugs have been taken and death having been realised.
The possibility of unwanted intervention is why it is wise to take lethal drugs in the evening. If a deeply-unconscious person is ever found before death, this can present a significant problem, not only for the person attempting to die but for the person tasked with, or who accidentally, finds them. Even if the discoverer is aware of the unconscious person’s plan, he/ she must do something to protect themselves.