To what extent do you think assisted suicide should be a legally available option to those who want to end their lives?
In Switzerland, anyone who assists a person to commit suicide is not punishable unless they do so for vested reasons. The relevant article in the Criminal Code paved the way for assisted suicide in the 1940s.
Today, more than 1,000 terminally ill patients or people suffering from other severe conditions receive such assistance to end their lives every year.
To what extent do you think assisted suicide should be a legally available option to those who want to end their lives? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
If you or a loved one is experiencing mental health struggles involving thoughts of suicide, help is available within Switzerland by calling the number 143. International resources can be found hereExternal link.
From the article Why assisted suicide is ‘normal’ in Switzerland
Before talking about assisted suicide, one should first understand the subject of this type of 'treatment'.____Suicide (from the Latin sui caedere, 'to kill oneself') is defined as the act by which a person deliberately procures death. ____Death (also called departure or death) is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. With death, the existence of a living being, or more broadly of a functionally organised system, comes to an end.____Now, once terms such as 'suicide' and 'death' have been framed, one could discuss what remains of a 'living organism' such as a man or woman under certain conditions. It is clear that a living being that is healthy, or at least capable of performing all or most of its functions, could be defined as suicidal if it decided to end its existence. But in my opinion, certain conditions of certain human beings go far beyond terms such as living being and vital functions. Certainly a living human being cannot be recognised as such in the following conditions: coma, vegetative state or brain death. In these cases it is really out of place to speak of suicide, since the individual is no longer able to move or make decisions, not even conscious. And if these cases appear to us as worthy within a casuistry using this treatment, there are just as many that border on this same condition in one way or another. So we might ask the question: 'what is better for the dignity of a man and a woman to end his or her so-called 'surrogate life', or to keep him or her alive with certain characteristics that no longer reflect human ones? Ultimately, who is 'the murderer'? He who forces a human being to stay alive who no longer has dignity and human semblance, or he who allows him to end his days that could add nothing to his life, except in a way that is totally negative for him and his loved ones
Prima di parla di suidicio assistito, bisognerebbe innanzi tutto capire del soggetto che si avvicina a questo tipo di "trattamento".____Si definisce suicidio (dal latino sui caedere, "uccidere sé stessi") l'atto con il quale una persona si procura deliberatamente la morte. ____La morte (chiamata anche dipartita o decesso) è la cessazione irreversibile di tutte le funzioni biologiche che sostengono un organismo vivente. Con la morte termina l'esistenza di un vivente, o più ampiamente di un sistema funzionalmente organizzato.____Ecco, una volta inquadrati termini come "suicidio" e "morte" si potrebbe discutere di quello che resta di un "organismo vivente" come un uomo o una donna in determinate condizioni. E' chiaro che un essere vivente in salute o comunque in grado di svolgere tutte o quasi tutte le funzioni che competono a questo essere vivente, se decidesse di porre fine alla sua esistenza, potrebbe essere definito come suicida. Però secondo me, certe condizioni di taluni esseri umani, vanno ben al di la di termini come essere vivente e funzioni vitali. Di certo un essere vivente umano non può essere riconosciutocome tale nelle seguenti condizioni: coma, stato vegetativo o morte cerebrale. In questi casi è veramente fuori luogo parlare di suicidio, dato che l'individuo non è più in grado di muoverso o di prendere decisioni, neppure è cosciente. E se questi casi ci appaiono come meritevoli all'interno di una casistica che utilizzi questo trattamento, ce ne sono di altrettanti che rasentano chi per un verso chi per l'altro, questa stessa condizione. Quindi ci potremmo porre la domanda su: "cosa è meglio per la dignità di un uomo e di una donna porre fine alla sua chiamiamola "surrogato di vita", oppure tenerlo in vita con certe caratteristiche che non rispecchiano più quelle umane? In definitiva chi è "l'assassino"? Chi obbliga a rimanere in vita un essere umano che non ha più dignità e parvenze umane, oppure chi gli consente di terminare i suoi giorni che non potrebbero aggiungere nulla al suo vissuto, se non in maniera del tutto negativa per lui e per i suoi cari
Terminal illness is an absolute valid reason for end of life. NO ONE has the right to interfere.
I think there should be death with dignity.
Only the person themselves can understand the suffering, and some people may have an ego but don't want to cause trouble for others.
If you want to spend the rest of your life in pain and suffering, you should be able to choose to make it easier for them.
Even if you can take care of the people around you now, you still have to worry about how you will be able to spend your life after they are gone.
尊厳死はあったほうがよいかと思う。
苦しみは本人しか分からない、エゴなとこはあるけど回りに迷惑かけたくないって人もいるかもしれない。
一生を痛み、苦しみで過ごすくらいなら楽させる選択もあっていいのでは。
回りの介護が今は出来ても、その人がいなくなった後を、どうやって過ごせるのか不安は残る
Many people refer to the feelings of those left behind, but I don't think it is like that. People who can care about such things are those who still have hope. There are times when people want to lose consciousness as soon as possible, even if they are thinking about their parents, family and other people around them. At such times, I think people have the right to choose suicide, and I think there should be legal support for this. The law should be developed in Japan.
残された人の気持ちに言及する人が多いが、そういうものではないと思う。そんなことを気にかけることができる人は希望が残っている人。親や家族など周りの人のことを考えても一刻も早く意識をなくしたい、そういう時が人にはある。そんなとき、自死を選ぶ権利が人間にはあると思うし、法的にもサポートすべきだと思う。日本国でも法律を整備すべきだ。
Death with dignity should certainly be recognised. Souls escaping unbearable pain will live forever.
尊厳死は確実に認められるべき。耐え難い苦痛から逃れる魂は永遠に生き続ける。
I believe that there is pain and fear that only the patient can understand! I am in favour of euthanasia rather than suffering and enduring pain and being subjected to unnecessary life-prolonging measures!
本人にしか理解できない痛み、恐怖があるとおもいます！苦しんで痛みに耐えて無駄な延命措置をされるよりは安楽死は賛成です！
I think we could choose the way to die, no matter what people say. 'Euthanasia' is the best way to suicide and not cause trouble to others.
I'm completely in favour.I have small cell lung cancer and I've looked for ways to put an end to this suffering but unfortunately I haven't been able to.Not even through Exit International who charge money for access to some information.I've been scammed.I've paid and received nothing.Getting pentobarbital is practically impossible when it should be something you can access.
Completamente a favor.Tenho um cancro de pulmão de pequenas células e já procurei em vários sitios formas de terminar com este sofrimento mas infelizmente não consegui.Nem através da Exit International que cobram valores para acesso a alguma informação.Já fui burlada.Paguei e nada recebi.Obter pentobarbital é praticamente impossivel quando devia ser algo a que se podesse aceder
I agree with euthanasia, I think it is more cruel to me to suffer while watching oneself being killed.
Well, this is my personal opinion
Estoy de acuerdo con la eutanasia, inesesariamente sufrir viendo uno mismo como se va acabando para mi es más cruel.
Bueno es mi opinión personal
Of course I am in favour of 'euthanasia'.
I have an incurable disease called spinocerebellar degeneration, which cannot be cured by current medicine. I am not able to do the things I used to be able to do day by day.
I would like to know where and how to go about euthanasia.
I have already made up my mind.
もちろん『安楽死』賛成です。
脊髄小脳変性という難病で今の医学では治りません。日に日にやれた事ができなくなっています。
安楽死について、どこにどうしたらいいのか教えて欲しいです。
もう、気持ちはできています。
I have a cervical hernia and have been in pain for 10 years with painkillers💊 and block injections.
I die every day. I am struggling to find a way out.
I am in favour of euthanasia.
I am already struggling with what to do.
I am at the breaking point.
頚椎ヘルニアで、10年鎮痛剤💊ブロック注射などしながら痛みに耐えられる毎日です。
毎日死ね。無いか格闘しています。
安楽死に賛成です。
もうどうしていいか悩んだりする。
のが限界点に有ります。
I, too, am in favour of euthanasia. It's my life and I don't understand the value of living with unbearable suffering.
I don't understand the value of living with unbearable suffering, and why doesn't Japan have this kind of system?
If I had to go through unbearable suffering, I would choose this method.
私も安楽死は、賛成です。 自分の命ですし耐え難い苦しみを
感じながら生きていることの価値がわからないし、日本もなぜこういう制度がないのか?
私も耐え難い苦しみを、耐えながら行きたいといけなくなったらこの方法を選びたいと思えた。
I agree.
I suffered a stroke last year that left me severely paralysed on the left side of my body and I am currently undergoing rehabilitation, but there is no hope of recovery and I find it hard to live as I cannot do what I want at all. The people I knew around me were disappearing rapidly, and I was enduring the loneliness of my days, and all I could think about was euthanasia.
I don't understand why other people say no when I want to die.
I hope that the world will soon become a place where people can be treated under the law instead of committing suicide.
私はは賛成です。
私は昨年脳卒中にて左半身が重度の麻痺になり現在リハビリをしながら生活していますが回復の見込みがなく思うことが全くできず生きているのが辛い状況です。周りにいた知人はどんどんいなくなっていきひたすらに孤独に耐える日々の中考えたのは安楽死でした。
自分が死を望んでいるのに他人にダメと言われるのは意味がわかりません。
自殺ではなく法のもとに処置してもらえる世の中に早くなって欲しいと思っています。
Of course I agree.
I think it is wrong that even one's own deathbed should be left to others.
If a person wants to die, I think they should be allowed to die.
There is no right to die.
That is not a right, it is a matter of course.
It costs money to live and even to die.
What is the meaning of this?
It's not easy to live, and there are all sorts of problems with dying, such as after-effects, hurdles and inconvenience.
This is exactly what hell on earth is all about.
もちろん賛成です。
自分の死に際でさえも他人に委ねられるのは間違っていると思います。
その人が死にたいと言ったら死なせてあげるべきだと思います。
死ぬ権利もくそも無いです。
そんなのは権利じゃなく当たり前の事です。
生きるのにもお金がかかり、死ぬのにさえお金がかかる。
これは一体どういう事なのでしょうか？
生きるのも簡単ではない死ぬのにも後遺症やハードルや迷惑など様々な問題がある。
この世の地獄とはまさにこのことですね。
I agree because dying is a personal choice.
Even as a teenager I have become interested in euthanasia and nowadays all I can think about is dying.
In Japan, euthanasia is not recognised, but I think that we should think deeply about euthanasia in many places to give people peace of mind, rather than making people who are going through a hard life kill themselves by going through the pain.
死ぬことは個人の自由だから賛成
10代の私でも安楽死について興味を持ち、最近では死ぬことしか考えてることができていない
日本では安楽死を認めていないけれど、私は辛い生活の中で生きて行く人が痛い思いをしてまで自殺をするより、安らぎを与えるためにもいろんなところで安楽死について深く考えるべきだと私は思う
I agree. I think it is natural for a person to live if they want to, if their family will take care of them even if it takes a lot of effort, but it is wrong to continue living by using medical institutions and care homes. People in medical institutions and care homes do it as part of their job, but taking care of people who cannot move their bodies or even eat by themselves is as hard work as working on a construction site, and places a tremendous burden on those they care for, such as the risk of falls and swallowing. The carers are exhausted and mentally injured by having to help those who are unable to live on their own.
We hope that Japan will soon have euthanasia legislation in place.
私は賛成です。家族が苦労をしてでも介護してくれるなら本人が望めば生きるのは当然と思いますが、医療機関、介護施設を利用して生き続けるのは間違いです。医療機関や介護施設の人も仕事としてやりますが、体をまったく自分で動かせない、食事すらできない人の世話など建設現場で働くほどの重労働であり、転倒や嚥下のリスクなど介助するものに多大な負担を与えているのです。自分で生きることができない者を行かすために介助するものが疲弊し精神的にも傷つけられるのです。
日本でも早く安楽死の法整備を整えてくださるようお願いいたします。
I don't disagree with it but there is one clinic that happily accepted the application of a fit, healthy, active 51 year old woman who wanted to die to be with her 26 year old son who died only a year before. She went alone, her family and friends completely unaware until her letters arrived a few days after. This CANNOT be ethical. The woman needed help with her grief journey, not a lethal injection, leaving her family distraught and very angry.
Thoughts?
Totally agree
Completamente d'accordo
Good morning, I am the daughter of a lady who turned 97 in October, every day she asks me how she can die!!! She can't take it anymore.
Living with the terror of death....as and when it happens it destroys her.
I don't know what to do, I promised her I would help her....now that we're here I'm not so determined.
Buongiorno, sono la figlia di una signora di 97 anni compiuti a ottobre, tutti i giorni mi chiede come può fare a morire!!! Non ce la fa più.
Vivere col terrore della morte....come e quando succederà la annienta.
Io non so cosa fare, le avevo promesso che l'avrei aiutata....ora che ci siamo non sono più così decisa.
I think Switzerland's is too strict and "poor families don't have a choice of an easy death".
I am actively in favour of euthanasia. Since a child is forced to be born into this world at the will of his parents, it would be cruel if he is not guaranteed at least the 'right to an easy death'.
In fact, in Japan, the "euthanasia is a death harassment" camp and the "don't die by jumping off or jumping in, it's a nuisance" camp don't fight each other, but rather work together to torment suicidal people.
If euthanasia facilities are opened, the number of jumpers and jumper suicides will decrease dramatically and suicidal people will gather, making it easier to provide counselling and treatment.
If the patient is mentally healthy after treatment, they can be sent home, and if that doesn't work, they can be euthanised as planned. This is true suicide prevention.
There may be a problem of cost, but there are also invincible people and murders for the purpose of capital punishment, and the modern way of practically leaving suicidal people alone is too cruel anyway.
The 'right to die' (the right to choose one's own end) is a minimum human right.
スイスのは厳しすぎるし、「貧困家庭には安楽な死に方も選べないのか」と思いますが
安楽死には積極的に賛成です。親の意思で無理矢理この世に生まれるのですから、「安楽に死ぬ権利」ぐらいは保障されていなければ残酷です。
実際、日本でも「安楽死はデスハラ」勢と「飛び降りや飛び込みで死ぬなよ迷惑だ」勢が争う事なく、寧ろ協力タッグを組み一緒になって自殺志願者を苛んでいます。
安楽死施設が開業すれば飛び降りや飛び込み自殺がグッと減り、また自殺志願者が集まってくるため、カウンセリングや治療を行いやすくなります。
治療した上で精神が健康になれば帰せばいいし、それでもダメなら予定通り安楽死すれば良いのです。まさにこれこそ口先ではない「真の自殺防止」でしょう。
コストの問題もあるかもしれませんが、無敵の人や死刑目的の殺人もありますし、取りあえず自殺志願者を実質放置している現代のあり方は残酷過ぎます。
「死ぬ権利（自分の終わりを選択する権利）」は最低限の人権です。
And so I have put my affairs in order. I have had resuscitation experiences three times. I URGENTLY NEED GUIDANCE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE A BURDEN TO ANYONE. I AM IN MY RIGHT MIND BUT MY BODY CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE.
I SEE THE DETERIORATION OF OTHER PEOPLE AND THE AGONY WHEN THE LUNGS FAIL. I ALREADY NEED HELP TO BATHE.
I DON'T WANT TO GO ON.
Y por lo tanto he puesto orden en mis cosas. Tuve experiencias de resucitacion en tres oportunidades. ME ES URGENTE QUE ME GUÍEN PORQUE YO NO DESEO SER UNA CARGA PARA NADIE. ESTOY EN MI SANO JUICIO PERO MI CUERPO NO PUEDE MAS.
VEO EL DETERIORO DE OTRAS PERSONAS Y LA AGONÍA CUANDO LOS OULMONES FALLAN.. YA NECESITO AYUDA PARA BAÑARME .
NO QUIERO SEGUIR.
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