Opponents of euthanasia have expressed concern at the creation of a \u201csuicide machine\u201d, which has been developed by Dr Philip Nitschke.<\/p>\n
The well-known advocate of individuals\u2019 right to die has regularly caused controversy\u00a0by assisting what he calls \u201crational suicides\u201d.<\/p>\n
Having developed machines in the past that could be used by individuals to inject themselves with lethal doses of barbiturates, Dr Nitschke\u00a0says he is now close to finalising a new device which uses nitrogen gas to cause death.<\/p>\n
He says the idea for the invention was sparked by conversations in 2012 over the case of British man Tony Nicklinson, who\u00a0suffered from locked-in syndrome \u2013 the result of\u00a0a severe stroke in 2005 that had\u00a0left him unable to speak or move.<\/p>\n
Mr Nicklinson\u00a0fought a long, and ultimately unsuccessful,\u00a0court\u00a0battle in a bid to allow his doctors legally to assist his suicide.\u00a0In search of assisted suicide options, his lawyer reached out to Dr Nitschke, who began to consider how it would be possible for an individual whose movements were limited to blinking might be able to trigger death without the need for help by others.<\/p>\n
The resulting device\u00a0is intended to offer people the option of peacefully ending their life without assistance, in a way that is, according to Dr Nitschke,\u00a0effective and dignified.<\/p>\n
\u201cDeath shouldn\u2019t be something you do hidden away in a back room somewhere,\u201d Dr Nitschke told The Independent.<\/p>\n
The Sarco suicide machine is being developed by the non-profit Exit International. (Exit International)<\/p>\n
The machine works by filling a capsule with nitrogen, which induces hypoxic death to the occupant. While Dr Nitschke\u00a0argues that death comes without discomfort, he accept that there is still\u00a0opposition to his methods, in part for historical reasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cGas may never be an acceptable method for assisted suicide in Europe due to the negative connotations of the Holocaust,\u201d said Dr Nitschke, who serves as the director of Exit International \u2013 the non-profit organisation developing the machine. \u201cSome have even said that it\u2019s just a glorified gas chamber.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once the hypoxiation process is complete, the biodegradable capsule can then be detached from the machine\u2019s base in order to serve as the deceased person\u2019s coffin.<\/p>\n
The futuristic design of the Sarco \u2013 short for sarcophagus \u2013 has raised\u00a0concerns that it is glamourising suicide.<\/p>\n
A virtual reality experience of the Sarco was on display on 14 April in Westerkerk church in Amsterdam for the city\u2019s annual Funeral Expo, which prompted worries among\u00a0the church\u2019s board about how the machine would be received.<\/p>\n
“We will not and cannot support any suggestion of using such equipment,”\u00a0Jeroen Kramer,<\/p>\n
President of the\u00a0Westerkerk church board, told\u00a0The Independent.<\/p>\n
“Westerkerk will never support people by offering equipment as promoted by Dr Nitschke and we seriously wonder whether this contributes to a thorough and careful discussion around this issue.”<\/p>\n
Dr Nitschke\u00a0said members of the board also thought the technology and futuristic design would attract a younger audience, even though that is not the aim of the design.\u00a0Despite these reservations, the VR display proved popular with attendees at the funeral fair.<\/p>\n
\u201cVirtual reality offers a way for people to experience their own virtual death,\u201d Dr Nitschke said. \u201cPeople seemed to be really interested in this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Current assisted suicide methods tend to involve pushing a switch or pressing a plunger, but such activity is impossible for many of those seeking assisted suicide due to\u00a0physical\u00a0incapacity.<\/p>\n
Mr Nicklinson\u2019s condition meant his only way of communicating was through blinking and eye movements. Email correspondence from his lawyer to Dr Nitschke, seen by The Independent, sought to see if a machine could be triggered by blinking commands.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile he may have needed some help to get into the machine, the actual action that initiated the flow of gas could be controlled by Tony,\u201d Dr Nitschke said.<\/p>\n
Denied by UK law the right to end his life through assisted suicide, Mr Nicklinson died just a week after the legal process came to an conclusion, after refusing food and fluids.<\/p>\n
The first fully-functional Sarco device is set to be built later this year in the Netherlands, before being shipped to Switzerland where assisted suicide is legal. Dr Nitschke\u00a0plans to develop a\u00a03D-printable version of the machine.<\/p>\n
Beyond the terminally ill who are seeking options for a dignified way to end their life, the Sarco is also intended to open up the conversation about death and euthanasia without the underlying connotations of fear and shock.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Opponents of euthanasia have expressed concern at the creation of a \u201csuicide machine\u201d, which has been developed by Dr Philip Nitschke. The well-known advocate of individuals\u2019 right to die has regularly caused controversy\u00a0by assisting what he calls \u201crational suicides\u201d. Having developed machines in the past that could be used by individuals to inject themselves with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n