Swiss Innovation: Portable Suicide Pods for End-of-Life Decisions

Post by : Kanchan Chandel

Photo: Exit International

Zurich, Switzerland: An assisted dying group has announced that a portable suicide pod could soon be used for the first time in Switzerland, potentially within months, offering a method of death without medical supervision. The Sarco capsule, which resembles a space-age pod, replaces the oxygen inside with nitrogen, causing death by hypoxia. The cost for its use is set at $20.

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The Last Resort organization, which is behind this initiative, stated there are no legal obstacles to its use in Switzerland, where assisted suicide is allowed if the person committing the act does so themselves.

"Since we have people indeed queuing up, asking to use the Sarco, it's very likely that it will take place pretty soon," said Florian Willet, CEO of The Last Resort, at a press conference. "I cannot imagine a more beautiful way to die, of breathing air without oxygen until falling into an eternal sleep."

Before using the Sarco, a person must pass a psychiatric assessment to ensure their mental capacity, a crucial legal requirement. The individual then climbs into the purple capsule, closes the lid, and is prompted by automated questions regarding their identity, location, and understanding of the consequences of pressing the button to initiate the process.

Sarco inventor Philip Nitschke, a prominent advocate for right-to-die causes, explained that once the button is pressed, the oxygen level drops from 21% to 0.05% in less than 30 seconds. "Within two breaths of air at that low level of oxygen, they will start to feel disoriented, uncoordinated, and slightly euphoric before losing consciousness," Nitschke said. "They will then remain unconscious for around five minutes before death occurs."

The Sarco monitors the oxygen level, the person's heart rate, and the oxygen saturation in their blood. "We will be able to see quite quickly when that person has died," Nitschke added. Regarding the possibility of someone changing their mind at the last moment, he noted, "Once you press that button, there's no way of going back."

The date and location of the first use of the Sarco pod, as well as the identity of the first user, have not been disclosed and will not be made public until after the event. "We really don't want a person's desire for a peaceful passing in Switzerland to turn into a media circus," said Fiona Stewart, a lawyer on The Last Resort's advisory board. The pod will be used "in a very secluded location, in the beauty of nature," on private property.

When asked if the first use would occur this year, Stewart responded, "I would say yes." The minimum age limit for using the Sarco is 50, although exceptions could be made for those over 18 who are seriously ill. The capsule can be reused.

Nitschke's Exit International organization, which owns the Sarco, is a non-profit group funded by donations. The only cost for the user is 18 Swiss francs ($20) for the nitrogen.

The potential use of the Sarco capsule has sparked legal and ethical debates in Switzerland. Some cantonal authorities, such as the Wallis cantonal doctor, have banned its use, while others have expressed reservations.

"It's our understanding that there's no legal impediment to the Sarco being used... despite what any canton says," Stewart insisted. Nitrogen, which makes up 78% of the air, is "not a medical product... it's not a dangerous weapon," she added. "We're looking to de-medicalize assisted suicide because a Sarco doesn't require a doctor to be in close proximity."

The capsule cost over 650,000 euros ($710,000) to research and develop in the Netherlands over 12 years. It has been tested with instruments in a workshop in Rotterdam over the past 12 months but has not been tested on humans or animals. The current Sarco can accommodate someone up to five feet and eight inches (1.73 meters) tall. The development team is working on a double Sarco to allow couples to end their lives together.

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