Parliamentarians in the UK have compiled a dossier on the assisted suicide legislation that includes horror stories of how such laws have gone wrong in other jurisdictions.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Dying Well, chaired by Danny Kruger MP, highlighted among others the case of Kurt Huschle in Colorado.

Diagnosed with incurable bile-duct cancer at 58, he was eligible for assisted suicide as he was thought to have less than six months left to live. Subsequently, he was prescribed a cocktail of lethal drugs and found a pharmacy that was able to supply it in liquid form. He and his wife were told that the process from ingestion to death would take two to four hours.

However, contrary to expectations, he did not pass away peacefully.

“With every sip he’s choking and coughing, choking and coughing”, his wife Susan said.

After 20 minutes, he began to gasp unevenly. It seemed that he had lost consciousness but more than four hours after taking the drug, he was still alive. Frightened, Susan realised that her husband might still be partially conscious and able to hear her. She then called a doctor asking for help.

That evening, more than 8 hours after ingesting the lethal drug, Kurt sat in bed, retched and stopped breathing. Susan said she had not been able to say a peaceful farewell, nor had it been the goodbye they wanted.