Switzerland
Fully automatic gas capsule – euthanasia legally approved by the Sarco-Pod
The machine is reminiscent of the deep sleep capsule from a science fiction film.
© PR
To leave life independently and without outside help – that is what Sarco offers. The mobile capsule should help those who want to die in 2022. Quite legally, at least in Switzerland.
Suicide with the help of a robotic machine. That is the idea behind the Sarco capsule. An expert opinion now certifies that the system can be operated legally in Switzerland. In countries like Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands it is legally allowed to put an end to your life. Also in Germany, here the chief judges overturned the restrictive legislation of the parliament. The difference to Switzerland is that there are hardly any normative laws, since the Swiss view suicide to a large extent as a fundamental right to freedom. Strictly speaking, Sarco does not have to be approved by the state, the report only has to certify that it conforms to the law.
Without the participation of a doctor
In 2020 around 1,300 people died as a result of assisted suicide in Switzerland. Most of the time, a lethal toxin is used, such as liquid sodium pentobarbital. Sodium pentobarbital is a sedative that must be prescribed by a doctor. Sarco simplifies the process. The capsule works without a deadly drug. This bypasses the legislation for hazardous substances in terms of procurement, storage and use. The suicide can be carried out completely alone, there is no need for a doctor to assist.
The capsule is produced in the Netherlands in a 3-D printer. The manufacturing company is based there, but the legal situation in Switzerland favors euthanasia by a machine. In other countries, the participation of a doctor is sometimes mandatory. The machine works autonomously, it can be transported anywhere. Death can therefore take place in a hospice, in your own bedroom or on a meadow. The choice of location is a problem in Switzerland because death tourists have repeatedly used hotel rooms for their demise.
Pain-free death
The process itself is very simple. The patient is first asked a series of questions that test whether the person is capable of making free will. After this online test, she receives a code for access and can get into the capsule. There she can flip a lever. But there is no automatism, if you want you can simply cancel the process. After actuating the lever, the airtight interior is flooded with nitrogen, the oxygen is displaced. Unlike drowning, for example, the exchange of gas does not trigger panic or defensive reactions in the body. The patient just feels a little “showered” and euphoric before sinking into unconsciousness in less than 30 seconds. Death then occurs due to a lack of oxygen or carbon dioxide.
So far there are two prototypes, a third machine should be ready for use in Switzerland in 2022. In order to meet the legal requirements, a camera has to be placed inside. The first prototype is currently on display in the Museum for Sepulchral Culture in Kassel.
Ultimately just a tool
The aim of the company is to offer those willing to die an autonomous decision in which they no longer have to rely on the willingness of experts and doctors. And of course no medical professional is directly involved in what is happening. Even for doctors who affirm a free decision about life, it can be stressful to regularly work as “angels of death”. There is just one problem that Sarco does not solve. All forms of legally permitted euthanasia require a free and clear decision of the will. People with dementia or Alzheimer’s do not meet this requirement.
“Death by machine” sounds spectacular. Ultimately, Sarco is just a tool, albeit a complex one. But in contrast to aids such as ropes, knives or firearms, which have always been used for suicide, Sarco offers a painless and safe dying process. Even if that may not be intentional, Sarco should continue to give suicide tourism a boost. “Going to Switzerland” is already a household word in British clinics.
Source: Swissinfo
Do you have suicidal thoughts? Help offers the Telephone counseling. It is anonymous, free and available around the clock at 0 800/111 0 111 and 0 800/111 0 222. Advice too via email is possible. One List of nationwide aid centers can be found on the website of the German Society for Suicide Prevention.
The also stands for children and young people Number against grief available from Monday to Saturday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. – the number is 116 111.