Suicidal plastic bag suffocation

USA. A case of simple asphyxia combined with external airway obstruction by a plastic bag, in a suicidal drug overdose. Simple asphyxia is a term that is used by some to describe a lack of environmental oxygen. This can occur in a variety of settings. In one, a person is confined within a space that initially contains oxygen, but is such that no additional oxygen can enter the space. Another variation of the simple asphyxia category involves a localized enclosed space that encompasses the victim’s head/face region. The classic example involves a plastic bag over the head. Once all the oxygen within the bag is consumed, unconsciousness ensues, followed by death.