Switzerland approves first-ever 'suicide pod,' promises no choking feeling

Assisted suicide pod is now legal in Switzerland as a 3D printed assisted suicide pod has been cleared after a legal review, according to local reports. The machine known as Sarco pod has been developed by Exit International, a nonprofit organization that advocates for voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide. Euthanasia is legal in the European country, with 1,300 people having had recourse to the procedure in 2020, according to data from two prominent assisted suicide organizations, Exit, and Dignitas. Exit International, however, is different from the aforementioned Exit company. The method currently in use is the ingestion of liquid sodium pentobarbital. The coffin-like pod will soon go operational.

Assisted suicide is legal in a few countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, Germany, and Switzerland. It requires the interested person to have an incurable disease or terminal illness in order to get approval for assisted suicide. It’s a proposed solution for a quicker way to end the pain.

Since the Sarco machine has been made legal after a legal review in Switzerland, it could start operating sometime next year. The process is very simple; however, necessary questions will be asked from the person who chooses to use this pod. After that, they will be allowed to push the button from within the pod.

“The person will get into the capsule and lie down. It’s very comfortable. They will be asked a number of questions and when they have answered, they may press the button inside the capsule activating the mechanism in their own time.”
~ Dr. Philip Nitschke

In an interview with Swiss Info, Dr. Philip Nitschke, who’s the mastermind behind this 3D-printed Sci-fi pod, said, “Death is brought about in 30 seconds through this method.” The user “will feel a little disoriented and may feel slightly euphoric before they lose consciousness,” he added. He also said that “there is no panic, no choking feeling.”

Sarco suicide pod — 3D printed Sarco pod / via Exit International

The process can be started by pressing a button from inside the capsule, and the user gets to do it in their own time. Since the pod is mobile, it can also be transported to any location of the patient’s choosing. After pressing the button, the pod will be filled with nitrogen and thus reduces the oxygen concentration in the pod, killing the person inside through hypoxia and hypocapnia.

For now, the company has only developed two prototypes and hopes to get the third one functional by next year in Switzerland.