How using 'suicide pod' could land you in prison as first person set to use controversial device
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
A Swiss official has warned against the use of suicide pods, following news that the first person is set to use the device.
Assisted suicide has been legal in the European country since 1942, with personal choice and control of the dying process being key points among supporters of the method.
Swiss law actually states that people looking to end their lives must be of sound mind and not come to this decision through 'selfish reasons'.
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It's a lot of boxes to tick, but with most other countries in the world having stricter rules on this, people often travel to Switzerland to legally die by suicide - and they are known as 'suicide tourists'.
The creator of the 'suicide pod' has been said to have 'glamourised' the act of taking your own life, with the first person set to use the device in assisted suicide just next week.
It offers the user a painless death that can happen within just 10 minutes of entering the pod.
The Sarco pod is 3D-printed capsule that is so revolutionary that some have even described it as the 'Tesla of euthanasia'.
However, these technological advances could bring about some legal issues, if public prosecutor Peter Sticher is to be believed.
According to Sticher, anyone assisting a patient to use these pods could be set to spend up to five years in prison.
This news comes following reports from the Swiss media that the pods are set to be used by the masses, if they so please.
Dr Philip Nitschke, now known by many as 'Dr Death', revealed that the first patient was set to use it next week in a post shared on an online forum on 10 June, explaining it would take place in Switzerland 'in the next few weeks'.
The device was originally not found to violate any Swiss laws, however, prosecutor Sticher warned Dr Nitschke in a letter that he would ‘absolutely’ face ‘serious legal consequences’ if the device were to be used.
In the letter, he detailed that 'there is no reliable information about the method of killing.'
A review by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that if the device malfuncitoned, it could fail to make the patient unconscious, resulting in a painful death.
Sticher further added that it is also ‘completely unclear who has control over which mechanical process during the dying process'.
Speaking about the pod, Nitschke, who is also the founder of the pro-euthanasia group Exit International, explained: “It can be in an idyllic outdoor setting or on the premises of an assisted-suicide organisation, for example.”
He also has plans to bring them to the UK.
Nitschke explained that the Sarco pod works by flooding the chamber with nitrogen, reducing oxygen levels so rapidly that the individual quickly loses consciousness.
They experience this within the first minute, and will have a 'peaceful, reliable, and drug-free' death within 10 minutes.
The team at Exit International has even made sure the Sarco pods can be activated via voice control and eye movement for those who have very severe illnesses and mobility issues, which means they cannot vocally communicate.
The pods, activated via a button, blink or gesture, also have an emergency button and escape route in case users change their minds.
Swiss law and Article 115 of the penal code state that individuals can assist in another person's suicide as long as the motive for doing so is not 'selfish'.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Topics: Technology, Health, World News
Joshua Nair