Why Are People Going To Switzerland To Kill Themselves?
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[1] 00:00This episode of Dnews was proudly made possible by the all-new 2015 Subaru Legacy.
[2] 00:05It's not just a sedan - it's a Subaru.
[3] 00:08Switzerland has become a hotspot for suicide tourism - but what does that mean?
[4] 00:13And how exactly does it work?
[5] 00:16Hey guys, Tara here for Dnews - and you've probably heard of the term "assisted suicide"
[7] 00:26It's a legal form of suicide, that's performed with the help of medical professionals.
[8] 00:30Most places in the world have banned it, for ethical or religious reasons - but there is
[9] 00:34one country where assisted suicide is perfectly legal, and that's Switzerland.
[11] 00:44patients who live outside the country.
[13] 00:52It was founded in 1998, and since then, it's helped assist in the suicides of over 1,000
[15] 00:57But as far as assisted suicide goes, it's relatively new - the practice has been legal
[16] 01:01in Switzerland since 1942.
[17] 01:04Interestingly, there are a few states in the US that do legally allow physician-assisted
[19] 01:14because it's one of the few countries with no national laws against it.
[20] 01:17As such, it's created something of a "suicide tourism" industry, where people travel from
[21] 01:22all over the world, with the intent of ending their life.
[22] 01:25Of course, not just anybody can choose to do this.
[23] 01:27All patients undergo a thorough psychiatric evaluation, to make sure they're of sound
[24] 01:31mind - but they also have to have a legitimate medical reason for wanting to do it.
[25] 01:35And a recent study published in the British Journal of Medicine, aims to find out exactly
[26] 01:39who is partaking in suicide tourism - and why.
[27] 01:42A team of researchers combed through databases of information from the Institute of Legal
[28] 01:46Medicine in Zurich, and looked at 611 cases of assisted suicide between 2008 and 2012,
[29] 01:53involving people from outside countries.
[30] 01:54The average age of someone seeking assisted suicide, was 69 years old - ranging from 23
[31] 01:59all the way up to 97.
[32] 02:01And women, they found, were 40% more likely to choose assisted suicide, than men.
[33] 02:07The 611 cases also included people from 31 different countries - yet almost two-thirds
[34] 02:13of the patients came from either Germany or the UK.
[35] 02:16So why were they seeking suicide?
[36] 02:18Well, the laws in the US state that you must have a terminal illness, with a prognosis
[37] 02:22of less than 6 months left to live.
[38] 02:24But it's not like that in Switzerland.
[39] 02:25Certain organizations - like Dignitas - do only work with terminally ill patients.
[40] 02:30But the actual Swiss laws, say you just have prove that you're not doing it for "selfish"
[42] 02:39In this study, the most common reason for someone seeking suicide, were neurological
[43] 02:43diseases - like paralysis, Parkinson's, motor neuron disease, and multiple sclerosis.
[45] 02:53And about 1 in 3 people, had multiple conditions.
[47] 03:01there is something that seems wrong about denying someone the ability to die with dignity,
[48] 03:05if they're truly suffering from an incurable illness.
[49] 03:08After all, we administer euthanasia to our pets when they're suffering.
[50] 03:12And from a moral standpoint, that's even more egregious - because animals can't give
[52] 03:17It is worth noting, though, the distinction between euthanasia and "assisted suicide."
[53] 03:22Euthanasia is administered by someone else - whereas "assisted suicide" is just that
[55] 03:27In Switzerland at least, the drug can only be "prepared" by a doctor - and the person
[56] 03:31who's committing suicide has to administer the drug themselves.
[57] 03:34For most people in Switzerland, that drug is sodium pentobarbital.
[58] 03:38It's typically used to euthanize animals, but it's also been included in some of the
[59] 03:41lethal injection cocktails given to inmates here in the US.
[61] 03:49to the point where it stops - and once your brain stops, eventually so does your heart.
[62] 03:53As far as lethal injection cocktails go, it's one of the more humane options.
[64] 04:02- including Germany and the UK - aren't eager to make it legal, anytime soon.
[65] 04:06What are your thoughts on this?
[66] 04:08Do you think assisted suicide should be legal, or should it remain outlawed?
[67] 04:11Let us know what you think in the comments below - and as always, thank you guys for