Editor’s note: Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health issues. In Brazil, it is possible to contact the Centro de Valorização da Vida (CVV) via number 188 (available 24 hours a day), chat or in person at some addresses.
Several people were arrested in Switzerland this week after a 64-year-old woman died in a capsule that allows assisted suicide.
The case generated controversy after authorities questioned whether the equipment complies with Swiss law, where there are laws that allow assisted suicide.
The company behind the “Sarco” capsule, The Last Resort, said the person who died was an American woman who had a severely compromised immune system.
How does the “Sarco” capsule work?
“Sarco” is a capsule made by 3D printing that causes death by releasing nitrogen gas inside, reducing the amount of oxygen to lethal levels — death occurs due to the rapid reduction in the level of oxygen, not the nitrogen itself.
According to Last Resort, the person inside the equipment breathes normally, but loses consciousness in a matter of seconds. Death happens within minutes.
According to the company, there is a button inside Sarco to activate it. No one outside of it can start the nitrogen flow.
Sarco is the brainchild of Philip Nitschke, an Australian doctor famous for his work on assisted suicide since the 1990s.
Since Project Sarco began in 2012, there have been three versions of the capsule. 3.0 was unveiled in Switzerland on July 16, 2024.
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, the Swiss minister responsible for health, said the capsule does not meet the requirements of the safety law and that its use of nitrogen is not legally compatible.
*with information from Reuters
This content was originally published in How does the assisted suicide capsule that was used in Switzerland work? on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
