Technology touted as providing users a "painless" death could soon be available in Switzerland.
Trials involving real life participants are set to begin in 2022 for a so-called suicide machine called "Sarco" - a coffin-shaped pod which "painlessly ends someone's life," creator Phillip Nistchke told the Washington Post. The device passed a legal review in September.
With the simple push of a button, the pod becomes filled with nitrogen while rapidly lowering oxygen levels, which Nitschke said causes the user to fall unconscious within one minute. He explained that the person will not "suffocate or experience distress" after they fall asleep.
Photo's of the Sarco can be viewed here.
With the pod's sleek and modern design, Nistchke, who some refer to as "Dr. Death," who described the experience as a "stylish and elegant" way to die.
However, critics have argued that the concept "glamorizes suicide." Daniel Sulmasy, the director of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University, told the Post that his main concern is that "a machine like this glamorizes suicide and makes it easier for people who are vulnerable and mentally ill."
He added that the machine could contribute to "suicide contagion" - which the outlet said is "a phenomenon in which hearing about suicide can lead to more people dying that way."
Other detesters have called it a "glorified gas chamber."
Nitschke first introduced the concept four years ago, however it's struggled to get off the ground due to heavy criticisms.
A legal analysis, conducted by a law professor at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, concluded that the pod will not violate Switzerland's assisted suicide law, which gave Nitschke the go-ahead to move forward with the project.
The professor told the paper that Swiss law "does not explicitly authorize the use of Sarco, it simply does not regulate it and thus does not prohibit it."
The country is one of just a handful in the world that allows assisted suicide or Euthanasia - defined as "the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma."
Nistchke argued that the machine should be used for certain categories of people that want the assistance, such as elderly individuals who are "tired of life."
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's website here to view a list of available resources.
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