No, it's not absolute that the person sucking the venom would become the second victim, but if one of you is bitten it's not going to improve the whole situation if there are TWO people who need to be treated.

Remember that if the venom is taken into the body, the site is going to start swelling almost immediately. This also applies to the mouth, a bad place to start swelling. I once knew a Beagle who got stung on the tongue by a rattler; they couldn't get him to the vet quick enough to save his life. His tongue swelled so fast that he died of suffocation, I guess.

I think that the only reason the victim would die quickly is if the venom happened to be deposited right into the blood stream, like into a vein or artery. And there is probably anaphyaxis if the person is allergic, but I am under the impression (perhaps wrongly) that you don't get an allergic reaction the first time you're bitten/stung. The first attack sets up the body to react the next time, IF you're going to be allergic.

So, if you're with someone who is bitten, don't suck the poison, just do all the other things that you need to do: call for help, capture or kill the snake (if you can) so the medical people will know what type of snake to treat for, keep the person quiet and calm, be ready to jump up and wave to the arriving emergency personnel if you're not in a place where you'll be seen easily.

Having two people lying in the brush of a vacant lot, out of sight of rescuers isn't the ideal situation.

Sue

Sue