Foreign nationals, minors, people without terminal illnesses: in Switzerland, assisted suicide is available to many. There are minimal legal hurdles and politicians regularly reject attempts to regulate it.
What do you think about Switzerland’s approach to assisted suicide and death tourism? How is assisted suicide viewed in your country? Join the discussion here!
In the case of 56-year-old British woman Wendy, who is due to travel to Switzerland shortly to seek assisted dying through Pegasus, the media has focused on the fact that she is physically healthy. But is it appropriate to bring the concept of health into play in this context? There is a saying that illness and health are not rooted in individuals, but in relationships. What are the relationships of this desperate mother like that she views her future so bleakly? And what would they need to be like for her to feel confidence and a zest for life again? One should not dictate to anyone what they should do with their life. But one should certainly reflect on fundamental questions. And in this case, there are many such questions.__I too have a heavy burden to bear in my life; I have always struggled with depression and can, at times, imagine choosing assisted dying. I am 51 years old and do not know what the future holds. One should never say never, certainly not when it comes to this question.
Im Fall der 56-jährigen Britin Wendy, die demnächst in die Schweiz reist, um bei Pegasus die Sterbehilfe zu beanspruchen, wurde medial das Augenmerk darauf gelegt, dass sie körperlich gesund sei. Doch ist es in diesem Zusammenhang angebracht, den Gesundheitsbegriff ins Spiel zu bringen? Ein geflügeltes Wort besagt, dass Krankheit und Gesundheit nicht in den Individuen, sondern in den Beziehungen angesiedelt sind. Wie sehen die Beziehungen dieser verzweifelten Mutter aus, dass sie ihre Zukunft derart schwarz sieht? Und wie müssten sie aussehen, damit sie wieder Zuversicht und Lebensfreude spürt? Man soll niemandem vorschreiben, was er oder sie mit seinem Leben anstellt. Aber man soll schon über Grundsatzfragen nachdenken. Und in diesem Fall stellen sich viele.__Ich habe an meinem Leben auch schwer zu tragen, kämpfe seit jeher mit Depressionen und kann mir zeitweilig auch vorstellen, assistiert zu sterben. Ich bin 51 Jahre alt und weiss nicht, was die Zukunft bringt. Man soll nie nie sagen, schon gar nicht in dieser Fragel
That’s right, I’m absolutely in favour of assisted dying and would make use of it myself; it should be extended to all hospitals.__Depression, for example, is not considered a fatal illness, but if someone then takes their own life, I consider it a fatal illness – just as I would if someone were burned, disfigured, had other illnesses or was severely disabled. Only I have the right to decide about my life or death.
Richtig so, ich bin absolut für die Sterbehilfe und würde sie für mich in Anspruch nehmen, sie sollte auf alle Spitäler ausgeweitet werden.__Depressionen zb. gelten als nicht tödlich, aber wenn man dann Suizid macht ist es für mich eine tödliche Krankheit, genauso wenn man verbrannt, entstellt ist, sonstige Krankheiten hat oder Schwerbehindert ist, nur ich habe über mein Leben oder ableben zu entscheiden.
Which is the better option? I can kill myself safely and cleanly at home or wherever, with some help, or I can throw myself in front of a train.__Whoever wants to will do it. To each their own.__But perhaps, with a little less restriction and pressure from all sides, the suicide rate would fall of its own accord....
Welche Wahl ist besser? Ich kann mich mit Unterstützung sauber und sicher zuhause oder wo immer umbringen, oder ich werfe mich vor einen Zug.__Wer wer will wird es tun. Jedem das seine.__Aber, vielleicht, mit etwas weniger Beschränkungen und Druck von allen Seitenwürde die Selbstmordrate von alleine sinken....
I believe that death is the second most important moment in life, after birth. It is unacceptable that a free person should not be able to decide when and how to die if they so wish. It is a matter of living and dying with dignity.
Creo que la muerte es el segundo momento más importante de la vida, después del nacimiento. No es aceptable, que una persona libre no pueda decidir el cuando y el como si así lo desea. Se trata de vivir y morir con dignidad.
It appears more and more countries are going to adopt this policy so we feel it has been the right decision to end incurable illness with dignity
I believe a person has the right to determine if they don’t want to remain in life any longer, whatever the reason. ____I am pleased that Switzerland can offer this route. Switzerland presumes that people are capable of taking their own decision. This is in contrast, for example, with the UK … where it is currently clearly presumed that people wishing to end their lives are either ‘incapable of making the decision’ … ie, have no agency, or are otherwise being bullied into it by ‘greedy relatives who stand to benefit’ …ie, by a large portion of society that is evil. What a pessimistic view of people! And, alll rather insulting to say someone knows your mind better than you do.
Ive seen 2 suicide attempts from bridges in lausanne. One was successful, the other the guy drove his car off and survived but killed several people under the bridge. ____Ever seen suicide attempt survivors that jumped or shot themselves in the head? Most would have been far better off had they succeeded. ____Ever been in deep pain? Happy it went away I bet. What if it never did but got progressively worse? ____The lady in Spain was a paraplegic. A lifetime of misery. But I suppose its all the "big plan" of some nonsensical god who demands you suffer as a show of faith?____Dementia is another good one to be forced to live through. Go through your sh*ty childhood again while having no clue who your own kids are. Nothing like finishing off your life with years of fear and confusion.____Perhaps the "mother Theresa" method is best? Deny your patients any sort of pain medication or comfort? ____But...end of the day it comes down to the individual's decision, does it not? I live 15 stories up, should I need to go through years of committees, doctors, psychiatrists, and religious leaders, it would be much easier to walk off my balcony or tie a rope around the rafters. Plenty of lethal pills and plants out there. Firearms are hardly a rarity...but...none of these methods are overly foolproof. None really give the clean ethical ending of assisted suicide.____Suicide tourism? A subset of medical tourism perhaps as that is what it really is. End of life care is medical be it hospice, the hospital, or Dignitas.____Headline makes it seem as if you can just walk in and get medical assistance suicide same day with no checks and balances. Pretty sure doctors and psychiatrists are required to sign off.
I regard euthanasia, in the absence of unbearable illnesses or conditions, as a civilisational achievement. When I’ve had enough, I want to be able to go without having to justify myself. Suicide should be further expanded, following the example of the Netherlands, where, since 2012, following a ruling by the Supreme Court, mobile euthanasia clinics have been available. This means that the pentobarbital cocktail is delivered to a location of one’s choice on a simple medical prescription, and the staff then leave. No medical or other personnel need be present during the dying process. Thus, one can, for example, in a 5-star hotel after an excellent dinner and all alone, without any fuss or passive-aggressive, mostly religiously inspired companions, take the sedative at the desired time and then, in complete peace, enjoy the lethal cocktail. If you wish, you can still call your loved ones, write letters, listen to your favourite song, recite Shakespeare, or send a pre-recorded message to the hotel apologising for the bodily fluids that are to be expected. Long live civilisation; an end to the religious ban on suicide that is imposed everywhere and at all times.
Ich halte die Sterbehilfe, ohne Notwendigkeit zu unerträglichen Krankheiten und Zuständen, für eine zivilisatorische Errungenschaft. Wenn ich genug habe, möchte ich gehen, ohne mich rechtfertigen zu müssen. Der Suizid sollte weiter ausgebaut werden, etwa nach dem Beispiel der Niederlande, wo es seit 2012 durchjudiziert vom Höchstgericht, die Möglichkeit von mobilen Sterbehilfekliniken gibt. Dies bedeutet, dass das Pentobarbiturat Cocktail auf einfache ärztliche Verschreibung an einen gewünschten Ort geliefert wird, und das Personal wieder verschwindet. Es ist weder ärztliche noch sonstige Anwesenheit während des Sterbevorganges nötig. So kann man etwa in einem 5 Stern Hotel nach einem exzellenten Dinner und ganz allein, ohne Palaver oder passiv-aggressive, meist religiös inspirierte BegleiterInnen, zum gewünschten Zeitpunkt die Beruhigungspille und anschliessend den tödlichen Cocktail in aller Ruhe geniessen. Wer mag, kann kann noch seine Liebsten anrufen, Briefe verfassen, sein Lieblingslied hören, Shakespeare rezitieren oder sich beim Hotel durch eine zeitversetzte Nachricht auf die zu erwartenden körperlichen Schmitz Auslässe entschuldigen. Hoch lebe die Zivilisation, Schluss mit dem immer und überall religiös aufoktroyierten Selbstmordverbot.
Why doesn't we focus on more Loving Life Enhancements , to prevent suicide ? Insteadon focusing on Laws To Stop It ? ______Because , After letting who ever killed themselves , our only concern is on the legality of it : according to the approval of who can and who cannot ! Seems kind of careless for humans existence and many times an act of cruelty towards the decease love ones .______Humanity Is Going Bankrupt , While Stock Markets Going Sky High Fuel By Greeds.______Does Anyone Actually Evaluating The Denigration Of Society`s or Only Focus on The Most Greedy
When there is a war, they force you to go and kill and also to die. And no one opposes it... Governments have power over your life... but you do not have power over your own life...
Cuando hay un conflicto bélico, te obligan a ir a matar y también a morir. Y nadie se opone a ello… Los gobiernos disponen de tu vida… pero tú no puedes disponer de tu vida…
I like knowing that, if I were to decide to end my life for serious reasons, I could do so in my country. It would also be nice if there were official data and some indication of the costs. It would also be interesting to know whether leaving a simple written note to family members is sufficient and easy to carry out the wishes of those who make the choice.
Mi piace sapere che, se dovessi decidere di cessare la mia vita per motivi gravi, nel mio Paese lo potrei fare.__Sarebbe pure bello se ci fossero dei dati ufficiali ed un accenno ai costi. Sarebbe pure interessante sapere se lasciando u. Semplice scritto ai famigliari, vi è validità e facilità per eseguire le volontà di chi fa la scelta.
How many readers were directly asked by relatives or friends to help them get assisted suicide in Switzerland? I recently lost a close family member. He was retired, but still physically fit and enjoyed marine sailing. After a small tumor was successfully removed, he received inadequate follow-up care, with delays in almost every appointment and treatment. This caused his health to decline and new ailments appeared due to poor nutrition. He was eventually told he likely wouldn't return to normal life, and he lost his will to live. He wrote to me asking about assisted suicide. I could only tell him about the requirements to personally travel to Switzerland and waiting time. That was our last conversation. He died soon after. However, he didn't need assisted suicide and didn't even need to die. He needed good, timely medical care, which he didn't receive in his home country.
First of all, I disagree with calling a delicate and highly personal choice 'death tourism'. The individual choice to end one's own life is always supported by assistance (both abroad and in Switzerland). Switzerland allows this, but not in a liberal, free or undefined manner. It allows people to turn to well-defined, well-established and well-organised associations that are also attentive to the legal aspects of the issue. Assisted suicide is an important element of respect for human dignity, and even in countries where apparent ethical reasons, which I refer to as 'superficial do-goodism', something is changing.
Premetto che dissento sul chiamare una scelta delicata e personalissima "turismo della morte). La scelta individuale di porre fine alla propria esistenza è sempre supportata da un accompagnamento (si9a all'estero che in svizzera). La Svizzera permette, ma non in modo liberale, libero o senza criteri ben definiti, di affidarsi a associazioni ben definite, ber radicate e ben organizzate, attente anche dal punto vista giuridico al tema. Il suicidio assistito è un importante elemento del rispetto della dignità umana e anche i paesi in cui apparenti motivi etici che io commento con "buonismo di facciata" qualcosa si muove.
Thank you for your message. I agree with you that the term is problematic. However, it has become established in the debate in Switzerland and dominates the discussion in the media, which we cannot escape to a certain extent.____I do not understand why Switzerland's approach to assisted suicide is not seen as liberal. In Switzerland, the only legal criterion that makes euthanasia a criminal offence is a selfish motive on the part of the person assisting.____This means that euthanasia is in principle permissible for people without a terminal illness and also for minors. For example, the Federal Supreme Court has protected euthanasia for a healthy woman who wanted to follow her husband in death. Euthanasia must also be made available in nursing homes, as corresponding disputes in the cantons show. There is no supervision of euthanasia in Switzerland. Although unusual deaths must be investigated ex officio, there is no expert committee to assess them, unlike in Belgium, for example. Whether and to what extent this poses an ethical problem is debatable. Compared to other countries that allow assisted suicide, however, the Swiss approach is liberal.
Vielen Dank für Ihre Nachricht. Der Begriff ist problematisch, ich gehe diesbezüglich mit Ihnen einig. Er hat sich für die Debatte in der Schweiz aber etabliert und bestimmt die mediale Diskussion, dem können wir uns ein Stück weit nicht entziehen.____Warum sich den Schweizer Umgang mit Sterbehilfe nicht als liberal erleben, erschliesst sich mir hingegen nicht. In der Schweiz ist das einzige rechtliche Kriterium, das Sterbehilfe unter Strafe stellt, ein selbstsüchtiges Motiv der assistierenden Person.____Das heisst, Sterbehilfe ist prinzipiell für Personen ohne finale Erkrankung und auch für Minderjährige zulässig. Das Bundesgericht hat beispielsweise die Sterbehilfe für eine gesunde Frau geschützt, die ihrem Mann in den Tod folgen wollte. Auch muss Sterbehilfe in Pflegeheimen zugänglich gemacht werden, wie entsprechende Dispute in Kantonen zeigen.____Eine Aufsicht über die Sterbehilfe gibt es in der Schweiz nicht. Zwar müssen die aussergewöhnlichen Todesfälle von Amtes wegen untersucht werden, es gibt für die Beurteilung aber - anders als etwa in Belgien - kein Fachgremium.____Ob und inwieweit das ethisch ein Problem darstellt, ist diskutabel. Im Vergleich mit anderen Ländern, die Sterbehilfe erlauben, ist der Schweizer Ansatz aber doch liberal.
I am totally in favor of it. In fact I was a member of Dignitas about 17 years ago. It gave me so much comfort to know I would not have to suffer if my condition became terminal. __It motivated me to lobby the NJ lawmakers to enact a law " death with dignity". I believe 7 states in the US allow it. However in my opinion it needs to be broadened to cover mental decline like after a stroke or alzheimers. The organization Compassion and choices is a lobbying group that tries to get the law passed.
Thank you very much for your contribution.
Vielen Dank für Ihren Beitrag.
Assisted suicide is a "violent" way of ending your own life. The impact on families and close ones can be great. However, the looming alternative, non-assisted suicide, is infinitely worse, and obviously not a criminal offence. So rationally a assisted suicide must be legal, if it can reduce the impact on society. __Most arguments against legal assistes suicide in Switzerland are of religious nature. As there is freedom of religion in Switzerland, religious arguments should not be considered when legislating. __One of the most appealing argument, that the "easy" access to assisted suicide puts pressure on individuals, as they might feel beeing a burden to society. Regulations can be interpreted this way and to some extend they can shape society. As the swiss regulations surrounding assisted suicide are historically grown due to absence of regulation rather than avtive frameworking, I do believe that there is a very low risk of this beeing the case. __Then there is contoversy surrounding assisted suicides of non residents. "Going to Switzerland" is, admittetly, a somewhat macabre phrase used in some parts of the world. Unlike our flag, not a big plus. If we regulate assisted suicide rationally, there is no argument to not letting non residents access it. Once again, worse than assisted suicide "tourism" is suicide ("tourism").
Assisted suicide gives governments a macabre way to save money on medical care – using neglect and delays in medical and psychological help to push people towards assisted suicide, and selling it as ‘private decision', 'free choice’ and ‘modern’. Ill people see a list of medical treatments with unaffordable prices, but euthanasia is cheap or free. Many people e.g. in Canada feel that they are simply pushed toward assisted suicide, however spokespeople will deny it.
I am not living in Canada, nor do I know the Canadian health care system. Societal pressure to not being a "burden" are certainly not a real, measurable factor in Switzerland today. Economic factors (at least in the Swiss public health system) belong clearly into the realm of conspiracy theories, not especially intelligent ones. There is absolutely no "economic" incentive on the decisional level for treatment, the economics are probably more biased against them.
Have you ever been in contact with people who are ill (cancer, early stages of Alzheimer's, degenerative diseases)? Talk to those who see assisted suicide as the only way to end their lives with dignity (it must remain their own decision and not delegated to the state). Everyone, myself included, will one day end their life, hopefully with dignity and still free. To claim that governments (which ones?) are willing and interested in reducing healthcare costs (there are many other ways to do this) seems misplaced to me. In Switzerland, the government is not and never will be so 'macabre'.
Lei ha mai avuto contatti con persone malate (cancro, alzheimer ai primi stadi, malattie degenerative? Parli con chi vede nel suicidio assistito l'unica via per terminare dignitosamente la propria (deve rimanere propria e non delegata allo stato), vita.__Tutti, io compreso terminiamo, un giorno, possibilmente in modo dignitoso e ancora libero il nostro percorso di vita. Affermare che i governi (? quali ?) siano disposti e interessati a diminuire i costi sanitari (ci sono moltissimi altri modi) mi sembra fuori luogo. In Svizzera, il governo non è e non sarà mai cosi "macabro".
There is no evidence whatsoever that assisted suicide in Switzerland is a secret backdoor plot by the government to "save" money on healthcare. Assisted suicide has been legal in the CH since 1942 and healthcare spending has greatly increased since then. Switzerland's healthcare and palliative care system ranks as one of the greatest in the world in quality of care and accessibility. Canada has no relevance to Switzerland.
Thank you very much for your contribution.
Vielen Dank für Ihren Beitrag.
Thank you for your contribution. We have taken note of this discussion in Canada. However, it must be said that many services are available in the Swiss healthcare system until old age, and treatment times are short in comparison to other countries when it comes to basic insurance. Politically, there has been no speculation about a favourable exit so far. What does exist is subtle cost pressure on those in need of care if they have assets and have to bear a significant portion of the costs for the nursing home themselves. In this case, those affected see their hard-earned assets dwindle. There are also systematic shortcomings in palliative care, the elimination of which would enable a more neutral decision on assisted suicide.
Vielen Dank für Ihren Beitrag. Von dieser Diskussion in Kanada haben wir Kenntnis genommen. Man muss aber sagen, dass im Schweizer Gesundheitssystem viele Leistungen bis ins hohe Alter zugänglich sind, auch sind die Behandlungszeiten im internationalen Vergleich in der Grundversicherung kurz. Politisch wird bislang nicht auf einen günstigen Exit spekuliert. Was existiert, ist ein subtiler Kostendruck auf Pflegebedürftige, wenn diese über Vermögen verfügen und einen erheblichen Teil der Kosten für das Pflegeheim selbst tragen müssen. In diesem Fall sehen Betroffene ihr teils hart erarbeitetes Vermögen schwinden. Auch in der Palliativpflege gibt es noch systematische Mängel, deren Behebung eine neutralere Entscheidung über assistierte Suizide ermöglichen würde.
Thank you very much for your contribution. Looking at the history of euthanasia in Switzerland, it is indeed apparent that Swiss politicians are doing their utmost to stay out of the decision-making process. This emphasis on personal responsibility is consistent with the Swiss value system.
Vielen Dank für Ihren Beitrag. Wenn man sich die Geschichte der Sterbehilfe in der Schweiz anschaut, ist tatsächlich zu beoba hten, dass die politische Schweiz sich bestmöglich aus der Entscheidung heraushält. Diese Betonung der Eigenverantwortung ist kongruent mit dem Schweizer Wertesystem.
You are right only when you narrowly consider only Switzerland , middle to high income people, currently, and only focus whether the neglect of patients is wilful or not wilful. However, this is not the case in most of the world, including countries from where people consider traveling to Switzerland to end their lives. And yes, I witnessed several family members and friends decline and die.
Swiss recipients of assisted dying are more likely to be socioeconomically privileged compared to the average populace: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/4/e020992____Your arguments are pure ideology and not empirically backed.
Rachadrayane39__2026-02-08 20:56__Life is diverse, with many different types of people, each of whom strives to achieve their goals in one way or another. The problem does not lie solely with the individual if they make a mistake, but society also bears responsibility. Individuals alone do not build societies, but with sound ideas and proper guidance, they can change the lifestyle of an entire society____Ahmed Rahmani
A dark aspect of end-of-life discussions is not focusing on access to palliative and psychological care, which should be the first choice before considering assisted suicide. Heavily ill people commonly lack access to state-of-the-art therapies, palliative care, and pain management. They also commonly suffer from untreated depression, feel like a burden to others, and lack the support of loved ones. In these situations, a devilish idea comes: "Perhaps you would like to shorten your life?" However, this is not freedom and not a moral progress. If a vulnerable person receives inadequate support, they will often consider taking their own life.
Thank you for your contribution. Personally, I would attribute the existing gaps in palliative care to systemic inertia rather than a macabre political plan. At least there is no evidence to support the latter.
Vielen Dank für Ihren Beitrag. Persönlich würde ich in die bestehenden Lücken in der Palliativpflege aber eher systemischen Trägheit zuschreiben als einem makaberen politischen Plan. Zumindest fehlen dafür die Belege.
While I agree with you, this has surprisingly little practical effect. People suffer needlessly in both cases. However, we both agree on the chain of events: people consider assisted dying mostly because they did not receive proper end of life care. To help people, the important thing is to break this chain by providing palliative care, rather than focusing on whether it is purposeful or incidental. The key message is that gaps in palliative care are very common, while medical cases objective causing untreatable, severe pain or similar suffering are very rare. You can ask a doctor or consult medical literature about your chances of suffering either.
"However, we both agree on the chain of events: people consider assisted dying mostly because they did not receive proper end of life care"____What evidence do you have that indicates most requests for AS is due to 'inadequate' palliative care or non access to PC? Studies from various where the practice is legal show the great majority of assisted dying recipients to be already receiving PC.____78% in Canada receiving PC : https://canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/health-system-services/annual-report-medical-assistance-dying-2022.html
We agree that there are still gaps in palliative care in Switzerland and that this is weighing on the discussion. However, I would not claim that these gaps are the main reason for the decision to allow assisted suicide. Individual cases vary greatly, and support structures are still good compared to other countries – many countries, in fact. There may also be a mental aspect to consider here: Switzerland is a country that idealises individuality and self-determination. I personally know of cases where people in difficult circumstances sought an act of self-determination at the end of their lives and found it in assisted suicide.
Wir stimmen darin überein, dass es noch Lücken in der palliativen Versorgung gibt in der Schweiz und dass das die Diskussion belastet. Dass diese Lücken der Hauptgrund für den Entscheid zum assistierten Suizid sind, würde ich hingegen nicht behaupten. Die Einzelfälle sind sehr verschieden, die Support-Strukturen gemessen am Ausland - respektive an vielen Ländern - immer noch gut. Auch einen Mentalitätsaspekt mag man hier vermuten: Die Schweiz ist ein Land, das Individualität und Selbstbestimmung idealisiert, ich kenne persönlich Fälle von Menschen, die unter schwierigen Bedingungen am Ende Ihres Lebens einen Akt der Selbstbestimmung gesucht und im assistierten Suizid gefunden haben.
the sarco pod is bought from down under? spooky.
It is about freedom. In everyday medical practice, there are people who wish to die. These people are suffering, have no hope of recovery and are simply waiting for death. Only the individual can judge their suffering. We must not hinder the end-of-life care of foreigners, but also make this option available abroad. Death tourism is a misnomer; it is never about tourism, but about finding a long-awaited solution after a long journey from countries where religions make a humane end to life impossible.
Es geht um die Freiheit. Es gibt im medizinischen Alltag Menschen die sterben möchten. Diese Menschen leiden, haben keine Hoffnung mehr auf Besserung und warten nur auf den Tod. Das Leiden kann nur der Mensch alleine beurteilen. Wir müsssen nicht die Sterbebegleitung von Ausländer behindern sondern diese Möglichkeit auch im Ausland ermöglichen. Sterbeturismus ist ein falsches Wort, es geht nie um Turismus sondern um eine Lang ersehnte Lösung nach einer Langen Reise zu finden, aus Länder in denen Religionen ein humanes Ende des Lebens verunmöglichen.
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