Sarco, a recent, controversial topic in the media recently, is a newly developed machine that gives chronically ill patients the option to peacefully end their lives, in the same way we grant painless deaths to our pets. The idea stems from a case in the UK of Tony Nicklinson, someone who unfortunately developed locked-in syndrome and requested for a doctor to peacefully end his life, as he was unable to do so himself; refused, Tony was forced to live for 9 years paralysed from the neck down, able to communicate only through blinking. 

 

The creator, Philipe Nitschke- nicknamed Dr Death- has created several machines before; previous machines include the CoGen, the Destiny and the Deliverance machine, of which is available to view at the British Science Museum- all of these designs are solely intended to end the suffering of the incurable peacefully, rather than to the hands of their illness. The reasoning behind these suicide pods stems from sympathy, and an understanding that the individual deserves choice in their lives and how they end. 

 

The way the machine works is that it will make use of liquid nitrogen to lower oxygen levels, peacefully ending the patients life over the course of about 10 minutes. The design is loosely based on the Sarcophagus, and intended to obviously indicate what the machine does, how it works, and how to use it- this is so that it can be used universally. As well as this, it will be available universally, making use of 3D printing- this is to work around laws about assisted suicide, as the creators of any hand made machines would be legally accountable for the death of the patient, though this also allows an easier access to the suicide pods.

 

In Switzerland, where the pods are being designed, you are legally able to medically end your life by consumption of a series of liquids, so the premise of the idea is not strictly new to the country. Despite this, legal expert Daniel Huerlimann found that the pod “did not constitute a medical device” and consequently would not be covered by the Swiss Therapeutic Products Act, therefore would not be able to be legally used. However, Kerstin Noelle Vkinger, a doctor, lawyer and professor at the University of Zurich, disagrees, he argues “medical devices are regulated because they are supposed to be safer than other products. Just because a product is not beneficial to health does not mean that it is not also affected by these additional safety requirements”. 


It is safe to say that the suicide pods have recently started debate on the moral and legal grey area of assisted suicides: perhaps these can be a good thing for the people that need them most, preventing cases such as Tony Nicklinson’s- however, this may also impact the ones we love, and go against our moral intuitions.