Swiss police say they have detained several people and opened a criminal case a day after the first use of the “Sarco” capsule to end a person’s life. Assisted dying is legal in Switzerland in some circumstances.

Police in the northern Swiss canton of Schaffhausen said on Tuesday that several people had been detained, and a dead body taken for examination, following the apparent first use of a capsule designed to help people end their lives.

The “Sarco” capsule, made in the Netherlands and in development for several years now, is supposed to allow a person reclining inside to press a button, after which most of the oxygen in the sealed chamber is replaced with nitrogen.

According to the group that promotes its use, Exit International, this triggers first mild disorientation and euphoria, then unconsciousness, and in a few minutes death by asphyxiation.

  • sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz
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    2 months ago

    It just uses nitrogen. You can order a bottle of nitrogen from Amazon. That, a plastic bag, and some tape, you’re good to go. When I learned that, I felt way more secure about my choice to kill myself, hopefully years and years from now. As long as something doesn’t happen sooner to take the choice out of my hands.

    • Shou@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      That plan is half-assed. You’re gonna fuck up the attempt mate, and I don’t want you to end up worse than dead.

      It’s a fairly peaceful method if done right. The method can knock you out real quick (10-30s for a humam if done right), but it takes a while to actually die from it (could be 30min depending on lots of factors including gender). A lot slower than you would expect. I’ve seen gas termination with rats for anatomy lessons. It took a tiny animal a long time to die. 15min minimum, so we chose 30min to be sure. A human with 5L of blood rich in oxygen takes longer. In between losing conciousness and death, you’ll fight back. The odds of surviving as a half-vegetable aren’t favorable here.

      If you choose to go, make sure you rethink this method.

    • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      It’s not that simple. The theory of it being more peaceful is there’s no C02 build up which is what causes our out of breath sensations, gasping and all the ensuing panic.

      The prisoner in the US that was executed with this, they did it poorly and didn’t get rid of the c02 properly and it didn’t go as planned and was not peaceful.

      It would probably be a lot more complicated to do with just a bag and some tape and be sure it’s correct, although I guess if it wasn’t you could abort the attempt as you’d know you messed up.

      • earmuff@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        2 months ago

        This. So don’t just put a bag over your head. The CO2 buildup will make you feel how you suffocate. Just order a gas mask like thing (hardware store, medical suppplier, scuba gear,…) and make it so you breathe nitrogen, but exhale the used air to the atmosphere.

        • hOrni@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          I like how this post turned into tips on how to kill yourself. Saving it for later.

          • earmuff@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            2 months ago

            I am Swiss and member of the other big organization which helps people die. Not because I want to die, but I think it is every persons basic right to decide, when their life should end.

        • stringere@sh.itjust.works
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          2 months ago

          Can you get scuba tanks of nitrogen? I suppose thr unscrupulous would fill anything with the gas of your choice. It probably doesn’t have to be a scuba tank, either.

          • earmuff@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            2 months ago

            Since you do not work with a hermetically sealed environment, it is totally enough to use duct tape to bridge different hoses. The goal is to have a steady stream of nitrogen which you can breathe for at least 60 minutes. Not that you need this long to die, but in cases like this, I would add 3-4 times the amount of safety, so you are clearly dead and not just a veggie in a coma.

            • Riven@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              2 months ago

              As morbid as it sounds, don’t skimp out people. You’re gonna die anyways what’s a couple extra bucks spent to make sure you don’t end up a worst fate as a vegetable.