Controversial Portable Suicide Pod to Debut in Switzerland

An assisted dying group, The Last Resort, announced Wednesday that their portable suicide pod, Sarco, is expected to be used for the first time in Switzerland within the coming months. This futuristic device aims to provide death without medical supervision by replacing the oxygen inside with nitrogen, causing death by hypoxia.

First unveiled in 2019, the Sarco capsule's legality in Switzerland, where assisted suicide is permitted if the individual performs the act themselves, is not expected to face obstacles. Florian Willet, CEO of The Last Resort, revealed during a press conference, "Since we have people indeed queuing up, asking to use the Sarco, it's very likely that it will take place pretty soon."

The Sarco capsule, invented by euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke, features a user-activated process. The individual must first undergo a psychiatric evaluation to ensure their mental capacity. Inside the capsule, they are asked a series of automated questions to confirm their decision. Once they press the button, the oxygen level drops from 21 percent to 0.05 percent in under 30 seconds, leading to unconsciousness and death within five minutes.

Nitschke emphasized the irrevocability of the decision: "Once you press that button, there's no way of going back." Despite the imminent debut, specific details about the first user, time, date, and location remain undisclosed to avoid media frenzy.

Advisory board member Fiona Stewart stated, "We really don't want a person's desire for a peaceful passing in Switzerland to turn into a media circus." She confirmed that the only cost for the user would be 18 Swiss francs ($20) for the nitrogen. However, the introduction of the Sarco has sparked significant legal and ethical debates within Switzerland.