For a men atleast 1 min some people less.
An insect such as a roach does not have lungs, and does not hold its breath. Air enters by means of structures known as "spiracles". There is no breathing involved.
There's two ways to find this information out. First way is to ask a 12 year old girl to hold her breath and see how long she can hold it for. The other method is to kidnap a 12 year old girl, then tell her to hold her breath. I don't recommend the second one but if you really have to, don't... Really... Don't do it.
a few seconds
You will die from lack of oxygen, or you will hurt your lungs. You can't hold your breath too long to die. If you starve the brain of oxygen you will become unconscious at which point your autonomic systems will start you breathing again. You can be prevented from breathing which will cause death through asphyxiation, but that is not dying from holding your breath.
An average hobo is capable of holding his breath forever... the real trick is getting him breathing again.
Depending on ambient temperature
Holding your breath depends on oxygen in your system. After breathing in a bag, you've been depriving yourself of oxygen (breathing in what you breath out - carbon dioxide) and so you're oxygen starved.
Either breathing or getting oxygen through their moist skin.
Generally you will not be held in the ER, but transferred to a mental health facility. The normal hold time for someone that is suicidal is a minimum of 72 hours.
A normal adult human being can hold their breath for around 1:30 to around 2:00 and some adults may be able to last longer. :)
The impossibility of normal eating, breathing, and digestion creates a life-threatening condition that requires immediate surgery.
1. We can physically try to hold on to our breath for a period of time, but the medulla oblongata will detect a drop of pH level (acidosis condition) and force a breath.