Several people detained in Switzerland over death in a 'suicide capsule'

Exit International [1] is an interesting organization. I studied it for an old college paper and briefly immersed myself in the general subject of euthanasia, which is a pretty big topic.

One thing I distinctly remember is the 'quality of death' rating system, where pentobarbital sodium ranks highest, with inert gas asphyxiation possibly second.

I learned too, the European (Dutch?) Holders of the patent prohibit its use for judicial homicide, which has resulted in some pretty grotesque botched execution efforts with alternative methods.

I worked for a guy with an Exit International dog tag DNR necklace. We were discussing the subject of Right to Die when I mentioned the organization and his eyes grew as he lifted it from his chest to show me proudly.

In Switzerland, there is Dignitas https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dignitas_(non-profit_organis...

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exit_International

Edit: For anyone considering pursuing euthanasia via suicide tank with a terminal condition, or even without, consider hopping in an isolation tank (or Samadhi) first. Lots of potential for transcendence there, or worst case, discovery and fun.

Terry Pratchett came to Switzerland to help film a documentary on the topic:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Pratchett:_Choosing_to_D...

What a weird wording

> Switzerland does not allow euthanasia, which involves health care practitioners killing patients with a lethal injection at their request and in specific circumstances.

And next line:

>Switzerland is among the only countries in the world where foreigners can travel to legally end their lives, and has a number of organizations that are dedicated to helping people kill themselves.

I can attest euthanasia is alive and well here, people travel great distances to end their misery here. My wife is a doctor here and this topic is not unknown, she handled that paperwork for few of her patients.

These conversations usually turn into philosophical or religious arguments around life. My opinion is that suicide is completely valid and should not be stigmatized or illegal. Making it "off limits" and scary is how you isolate and drive people towards more unreliable and violent methods of killing themselves.

Yes, death is very sad and uncomfortable but it's a part of life. Whether we leave at 25 or 80 is still equally sad but I don't see it any different. It should be our choice.

They ought to make this thing a 2-seater so a loved one with an oxygen mask can sit next to you and hold your hand.

The capsule looks like a coffin from a sci-fi series, the kind of coffin that gets ejected into deep space. Is this intentional ?

so a death in a suicide capsule? What's next

"swiss police detain several people in connection with suspected birth in fertility clinic"

Every time I see one of these stories I'm reminded that the Nazis started by exterminating the unfit [1] - the mentally unstable, the elderly, etc. Only once they had that program well in hand did the Nazis move on to removing others who were (in the Nazis assessment) a "burden to society".

The danger here is that we're saying "there is a right to control how and when you die" but I have never seen anyone articulate an actual moral theory that allows for self-ending but does not also allow for other-ending (and the heart-rending stories that encourage allowing suicide only require the addition of "and she couldn't communicate her wishes" to cross over from supporting suicide to supporting euthanasia). Baring which, allowing suicide is allowing euthanasia. And allowing euthanasia is allowing coerced euthanasia.

[1]: https://hmh.org/event/medical-ethics-and-the-holocaust-how-h... & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_eugenics

Assisted suicide is one of those things that makes perfect logical sense, but is hamstrung by a common lizard brain reaction we all have. One of those things people don't like, or feels icky, and they have no idea why they feel that way.