Assisted Suicide And Suicide Tourism To Continue, Swiss Referendum

Assisted Suicide And Suicide Tourism To Continue, Swiss Referendum

Medical News Today

Early projections after a referendum in Switzerland indicate that Swiss voters in Zurich have turned down a proposal to ban assisted suicide. Approximately 200 people commit assisted suicide in Zurich annually, a significant number of them are foreigners who come in from abroad to end their lives.

It appears that voters are heavily in favor of keeping things as they are. Since 1941 assisted suicide has been legal in the country if the person involved in helping is a non-doctor and has no personal or vested interest in the result of the procedure.

In Switzerland, assisted suicide refers only to providing the means; it does not include actively helping the person carry it out. You can provide the patient with the medication, but you cannot administer it to them.

Dignitas, an organization that helps people end their lives, says it has had over 1,000 clients from abroad. Exit, another organization, will only deal with Swiss residents.

Assisted suicide has been legal in Switzerland since 1941? I had no idea.

Ohhh wait, look at this next article. Did this vote pass with such a majority because it is a cash cow? Surprised that we (the U.S.) have yet to jump on this potentially profitable market, as far as I remember we are still in the early stages of debating it. Perhaps Kevorkian was just thinking as an entrepreneur and wasn't actually crazy as some have claimed.

Associated Press

Zurich voters keep 'suicide tourism' alive

ZURICH (AP) -- Voters in Zurich have overwhelmingly rejected calls to ban assisted suicide or to outlaw the practice for nonresidents.

Zurich's cantonal voters by about a 4-to-1 margin Sunday defeated both measures that had been pushed by political and religious conservatives.

Out of more than 278,000 ballots cast, the initiative to ban assisted suicide was opposed by 85 percent of voters and the initiative to outlaw it for foreigners was turned down by 78 percent, according to Zurich authorities.

Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, and has been since 1941, provided the helper isn't a medical doctor and doesn't personally benefit from a patient's death. About 200 people a year commit suicide in Zurich.

"It's everybody's own decision. It must be allowed - they do it anyway," said Felix Gutjahr, a Zurich voter who opposed the ballot initiatives.

"they do it anyway," ...seems like that would have been followed by "why not make a profit opportunity from it?"

I leave this to your discussion.

I'm from Switzerland and I agree with the law. If someone is suffering and wants to end their life in a "dignified" then let them do it. The idea of a law that prohibits you ending your OWN life in a legal way seems quite strange to me.

Someone always financially benefits from a situation, especially death. Just think of inheritance tax etc.

And yes they would do it anyway. If we made it illegal everyone would just go to the Netherlands...

Here is a documentary which the subject goes through with assisted suicide and it's in Switzerland.



I completely agree with assisted suicide. I started a thread about it not too long ago, but it didn't garner that much attention, so I concluded that it was too depressing of a subject to get into.

I understand it on some levels and then there are parts of me that negate it on others. I most definitely think that the "walk a mile in another man's shoes" holds true in that if I were faced with a debilitating disease that riddled me with pain and there was nothing further that could be done medically then I can see how putting oneself out on one's own misery should be an available alternative.

However, and without knowing the particulars of the process in Switzerland, I wonder if there is a chance that the profitability will in some cases out-weigh the need to self terminate. It leaves room for these facilities that provide the service to lean more on persuasion to do so.

I do hope there is a vigorous counseling mechanism in place via an unbiased party.

reply to post by UberL33t


They mention in this video that it is a non-profit organisation so I don't know where you are getting the idea from that someone is financially gaining from this.


And to the poster of the video: Good find! Very moving and informative video

I also have no doubt there are extremly strict rules in place, as with pretty much everything in Switzerland theres a rule for everything and anything.

reply to post by Swizzy


The profit, is being made via the tourism due to all the people that come from abroad. It would be safe to assume that they are going to be accompanied by family members in mass in most cases I presume. Those family members will need to be lodged, eat, etc. In that, there is a profit.

The thread title, which is the article title says specifically "Suicide Tourism", tourism, no matter the "tour" is profit based.

Although most Swiss voters are in favor of assisted suicide, they are not happy with the term suicide tourism. Many individuals from neighboring countries, and further afield, where the practice is illegal, come to Switzerland to die - a situation that makes the locals feel uneasy, according Swiss media.

One of the proposals which Swiss voters appear to have rejected would have made it a requirement that any client would have to have been a resident in the Zurich area for at least 12 months. The proposal was put forward by the Evangelical People's Party and the Federal Democratic Union. However, the main parties advised Swiss voters to reject it.

The projected result of the referendum reflects a deep respect among the Swiss for an individual's right to decide when and how to die.

...."and if we make a little money from it...ehh why not?"

That is where I determined the profitability. Death will always garner a profit though, this is just another way to make money off of it.

Originally posted by UberL33t
I understand it on some levels and then there are parts of me that negate it on others. I most definitely think that the "walk a mile in another man's shoes" holds true in that if I were faced with a debilitating disease that riddled me with pain and there was nothing further that could be done medically then I can see how putting oneself out on one's own misery should be an available alternative.

However, and without knowing the particulars of the process in Switzerland, I wonder if there is a chance that the profitability will in some cases out-weigh the need to self terminate. It leaves room for these facilities that provide the service to lean more on persuasion to do so.

I do hope there is a vigorous counseling mechanism in place via an unbiased party.

The Swedish assisted suicide is most likely on the extreme side of caution, when it comes to assisted suicide methods that are available. An example of one that isn't so, is mentioned in my thread, called Final Exit where a person can order a suicide kit for $60, and this is in America. There is no screening process at all. And for what you get, which is a plastic bag and tube, the profit is probably a greater percentage better than the Switzerland method.

reply to post by UberL33t


Oh right I assumed you where refering to the doctors or company owner profiting from the death.

I mean of course I assume the family would want to come with the "patient" but then what? Let them stay for free? Expect OUR government to spend money on people taking their whole family with them to die? That is not our responsibility. We merely offer the option for assisted suicide.

reply to post by satron


I am sure that the majority are genuine however, any time there is an avenue to make profit from anything, there will be those that have a malicious agenda, or otherwise exploit a particular service. If you can label this a service, I guess that is subjective.

reply to post by Swizzy

That is not our responsibility. We merely offer the option for assisted suicide.

Right, and make a profit on it. Mind you I am not being critical. I am merely curious as to why the U.S. hasn't recognized this, more the politicians that have their "money grabbing hands" in most of Corporate America have not jumped on this. All it needs is a viable marketing campaign and the associative profits would soar in.

reply to post by UberL33t


Personally I'm 100% against suicide, HOWEVER I am 100% FOR individual liberty, if a person wants to end their own life it is their right to do so. People like me can try and disuade them but ultimately it is their own decision. The fact that a person has to go to Switzerland to legally end their own life is a shame..

reply to post by lifeissacred

People like me can try and disuade them but ultimately it is their own decision.

I concur completely! Which makes me wonder why it is even a debate. Like the guy in the article said, they're going to do it anyway. Why not make it easy?

reply to post by UberL33t


Wild speculation but could it be for religious reasons that the US and many other countries don't have assisted suicide? As far as I know suicide is a sinn in christianity right? I mean there are still plenty of people opposed to gay people etc nevermind assisted suicide which probably makes quite a few religious people cringe.

Saying that I don't know how the law passed in Switzerland in the first place because we are mostly christians too which kinda flaws my argument but it was just an idea.

i have a family member who commited suicide after he had gotten AIDS and colitis which ruined his life, I agree with the end of life community, people should have the choice.

reply to post by Swizzy


Makes perfect sense.

reply to post by lucysadvocate


My sincerest condolences on the loss. I will say this, I firmly believe that person is in a much better place now!

I choose the way I lived my life, I should be able to choose how to end my life...
Everyone has the right to die with dignity..I did a thread on this myself and it was about me chooseng how to end my life.. I support the right to die. That is, ..euthanasia,( Assisted Suicide ) But there is very few states in the USA that allows it.. The swiss have it right

reply to post by sugarcookie1


I feel Life is truly a gift!

With that, I have received certain gifts that I was like "wtf "...and took it upon myself to return said gift. This is why most stores have a returns counter and some are more strict than others with their return policies.

Some stores require a receipt before they'll even consider it. Sometimes returning a gift will only get you store credit. Some stores are less strict with their policies and allow for a full refund.

The gift of Life however, begs the question....

How strict is the return policy if you choose to do so on your own accord?