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View Full Version : 'Suicide tourism' to Switzerland doubled




William Tell
08-21-2014, 11:25 AM
Paris (AFP) - A total of 172 "suicide tourists" travelled to Switzerland in 2012, double the 2009 number, to die with medical assistance -- a practice prohibited in many countries, a study said Thursday.



German and UK citizens were the bulk of visitors, and the reasons most often cited were neurological conditions like paralysis, motor neurone disease, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis.
There are four right-to-die organisations in Switzerland that allow nationals from other countries to use their services, according to a study published online in the Journal of Medical Ethics.
It is a phenomenon unique to Switzerland.
Records showed that 611 people from 31 countries had come to Switzerland as "suicide tourists" from 2008 to 2012 -- all but four of whom had visited the Dignitas clinic.
"Their ages ranged from 23 to 97, with the average being 69," said a press statement.
Nearly 60 percent were women.

Read the full article here: http://news.yahoo.com/suicide-tourism-switzerland-doubled-224428364.html

William Tell
08-21-2014, 11:33 AM
Last year, the European Court of Human Rights urged the country to clarify the guidelines after an octogenarian who wanted to end her life failed to convince doctors to assist her because she was not ill enough.
Europe is screwed.