The first suicide in the controversial death capsule, dubbed “Sarco”, is set to take place in the next few weeks, reported SRF.
Philip Nitschke, the Australian inventor of the device, has chosen Switzerland to launch the use of his invention. The pod, which creates an airtight space, fills with nitrogen upon the push of a button, starving its occupant of oxygen. The device can reduce the level of oxygen from 21% to 1% in 30 seconds.
In addition to inventing the device, Nitschke founded the organisation Exit International, which has a branch in Switzerland.
The decision to use the pod in Switzerland is based on an analysis by a professor from St. Gallen that suggests the device does not break any laws. However, a medical legal expert at the University of Zurich says there is a fine line between what is and isn’t legal.
This new approach is different to the current one. Currently, those wishing to end their lives are accompanied by a doctor who ensures the individual qualifies for euthanasia under medical-ethical guidelines. In addition, the doctor provides pentobarbital, the drug that causes death. These processes fit more comfortably into current medical procedures. The new device would be different. No drugs would be supplied. And possibly no doctor would need to be present.
Use of the device in Switzerland is not yet guaranteed. The machine might be deemed a medical device. If it is, its use and importation will be subject to Switzerland’s Therapeutic Products Act, which restricts the import and use of medical devices in Switzerland.
More on this:
SRF article (in German)
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