In recent years, the issue of “assisted dying” has garnered significant attention, but due to ongoing ethical debates, it remains a sensitive topic in most countries around the world.
A Swiss organization named “The Last Resort” has recently announced that it will launch a self-service euthanasia service for the first time in Switzerland within the next few months. Anyone interested can use this service to end their life with a very low cost.
The Sarco pod helps people find a gentle way to die (Image: ETtoday).
Helping Patients Depart Peacefully
It is reported that “The Last Resort” (The Last Resting Place) showcased the self-service euthanasia pod named “Sarco” at the Venice Design Festival in 2019. Sarco is produced using 3D printing technology and resembles a sleeping pod from a science fiction movie. Nitrogen will be pumped into the pod while oxygen is gradually removed. Users will slowly lose consciousness due to the lack of oxygen. This process of “assisted dying” can be completed in about 10 minutes, with an estimated cost of $20 per use.
The operation of the Sarco capsule requires no medical personnel assistance, allowing users to end their own lives independently. Before closing the pod, users must answer a series of questions on a screen, including identity verification, location confirmation, and acknowledgment of the consequences of pressing the button, before the “assisted dying” process begins.
Users must operate the Sarco lid themselves (Image: ETtoday).
The Sarco capsule is expected to be officially operational in 2024. Florian Willet, the head of “The Last Resort”, revealed that several individuals have already made reservations to use this pod.
“The Last Resort” asserts that the Sarco capsule complies with current Swiss law, claiming that this device adheres to assisted suicide regulations and allows users to operate it themselves to end their lives. However, the Valais region in southwestern Switzerland has declared a ban on its use, while other regions are still awaiting decisions.
A Controversial Issue
“Assisted dying” (also known as euthanasia) refers to the intentional termination of life with the aim of alleviating prolonged suffering due to unbearable physical pain or untreatable psychological disorders in terminally ill patients, with consent from both the patient and their family.
Different countries have their own regulations regarding “assisted dying”. A special committee of the UK Senate on Medical Ethics defines “euthanasia as” “an intentional intervention carried out with a clear intention to end a life, to relieve intractable suffering.” In the Netherlands and Belgium, it is interpreted as “a doctor ending life at the request of the patient,” but Dutch law does not use the term “euthanasia”, instead opting for “assisted suicide and ending life at the request.”
This is a common term for the act of ending life to alleviate suffering. In voluntary euthanasia, the patient must confirm their consent through legal means, requesting a doctor to end their life using methods such as lethal drugs or cessation of treatment. This aspect also fuels the debate on the right to die.
Based on whether the individual consents or not, “assisted dying” can be categorized into three types: voluntary (Voluntary euthanasia), non-voluntary (Non-voluntary euthanasia), and involuntary (Involuntary euthanasia). Each type can be further divided into active and passive forms; however, some authors argue that these terms are “misleading and unhelpful.” “Active euthanasia” is often considered a criminal act in some countries, while voluntary passive euthanasia is accepted in others. “Assisted dying is often opposed in many religious moralities, with Christianity being particularly opposed to all forms of euthanasia.”
