Please, there is NO Euthanasia allowed in Switzerland.

Googling shows the correct term for what is allowed in Switzerland is "Voluntary euthanasia".

It is assisted dying- as you have to perform the act yourself- open the valve or drink the potion yourself.

Have opened a new thread on the subject, so as not to clutter this one. We are members of EXIT, and we have had long discussions with them to try and get them to accept an exception to the 'resident in Switzerland, with official papers registered here'. We asked them if an exception could be made for long-term members who go and live in another country in old age (75+) to be near children- but keeping a small property in their name, either owned or rented, in Switzerland in a region where they are known to authorities and friends- so they could come back for assisted dying (as not allowed in the UK, for instance, where we would return). The answer was a clear NO, either you are resident in Switzerland, or you are not. Which means, for us, that staying in Switzerland would give us that choice, should we ever be struck by some awful disease and the fight is over.

Much better for this discussion to take place here.

What are your thoughts? Have you joined Exit, or any other organisation?

And mainly, do you realise that in the case of a stroke that prevents you from communication, or Alzheimers or Dementia- that choice we have in CH will be taken away from you, whatever your advanced directives say.

If I should get dementia than I will not even find the Exit.

A very good point. But not funny, if you truly think about it.

I have watched too many in the last 10 years- with that awful in-between phase, when they know things are not right, but are fully and dreadfully aware. In the early stages, you can still make a decision, but you have to be quick, far too quick, in order not to be too late. Because when you've gone over that threshold- the choice has gone. And it can last for years, many years- of losing ones dignity, bit by bit- until you don't care, and then what is the bleeding point of costing huge amounts of money, taking valuable space and valuable staff, that could be so much better employed elsewhere.

We have a friend whom we heard say so many times- if anything like that happens, I'll get out fast! Massive stroke, not found for 3 days- unable to speak or communicate in any way. Very fit and strong physically, and he is now stuck in that semi vegetative state, and nothing can be done apart from DNR. Tragic.

Get a power of attorney for when you no longer can decide yourself. We have both one giving the other the poa to decide. When we both can‘t we have another person who is then entitled to decide.

I’m not really sure what there is to discuss. Forms of voluntary euthanasia (when euthanasia is conducted with consent) is already legal in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and New Zealand. It is also legal in the U.S. states of Oregon, Washington D.C., Hawaii, Washington, Maine, Colorado, New Jersey, California, and Vermont.

The difference in Switzerland is perhaps only that people can resort to assisted suicide by paying EUR10000, even when the patient is depressed.

From the other thread:

There's a choice irrespective of what the laws of a country are - to be blunt, there are plenty of quick, easy ways to commit suicide without help from others (obviously not if you end up totally incapacitated), which will not endanger others or be any cost to them.

To be frank, I think you're making a lot of fuss about nothing.

Helium sounds pretty good.

Tom

Where can you buy nitrogen gas? In personal sized containers.

Yes, this. Although one really hast to have a lot of trust in oneself and each other, to believe that one would be able to decide, when the time comes.

Exit has a very good system in place for just this situation, to avoid putting any stress on the relatives, or avoid the risk that they might decide in a different direction from what the person would have wanted. At Exit, members can register their Living Will, i.e. a signed document declaring what one wants done, should one ever not be able to decide. For example, one can state that if one is no longer able to breathe unaided, any machines should either not be hooked up in the first place or must be switched off, or that if one is no longer, physically or mentally, able to feed oneself, then the administration of food and water must be stopped altogether and medication increased to help one endure or not notice the hunger and thirst, until death arrives. That's obviously not as swift as drinking the potion, but enables a significant shortening of the agony.

Such a Living Will from Exit enjoys much more respect, nowadays, in hospitals, than 10 or 20 years ago.

I wonder whether this is perhaps one of those many Swiss matters that is regulated differently, from canton to canton. About 4 or 5 years ago friends asked this specific question in Zurich, as they were contemplating possibly leaving Switzerland. They were told that while the non-Swiss could not remain a member upon emigration, the Swiss family member could, and that Exit services were available to members.

And on the German-language webpages of Exit, it states (my underlining and deepl's translation):

Voraussetzungen
Sie können nur dann EXIT-Mitglied werden, wenn mindestens eine der folgenden Bedingungen zutrifft (falls beides zutrifft, bitte beides anwählen):
Ich besitze die schweizer Staatsangehörigkeit.
und / oder
Ich habe meinen Hauptwohnsitz in der Schweiz

Requirements
You can only become an EXIT member if at least one of the following conditions applies (if both apply, please select both):
I have Swiss citizenship
and / or
I have my main residence in Switzerland.

Do you know whether other countries - such as UK - have similar living will laws or whatever you want to call it? If so, then this might help JackieH feel more comfortable about making a choice of where to live and eventually, die.

As you say, such a document doesn't mean death is as swift as drinking a potion. However, the person's wishes would still be fulfilled in that they wouldn't be kept alive by extraordinary measures.

Just to ensure there is no confusion, a living will or Advanced Directive is a standard document and is not related to Exit. Here a link in English, with templates:

https://www.ch.ch/en/health/living-w...cess-and-forms

I have my Advanced Directive copies placed with my next of kin and my GP.

Any place that sells welding supplies. Likewise for helium, etc.

Tom

I had a dear friend who took her own life through EXIT.

She was 51 and hopelessly ill with cancer just about everywhere. After numerous and painful chemo sessions and with a young family the decision was taken lightly.

She was interviewed by an independent doctor and psychiatrist. No attempt will be made if there is any chance of mental illness or dementia.

A police officer was present when the day came. The post-mortem revealed that she would not have lived many more days...

She joined EXIT some 6 months earlier when it was already clearly hopeless.

Yes, you are right, and I did not realise this. Exit Swiss Romande requires that you have Swiss residency, registration and all official papers here.

Your prerogative. I have known too many people who have committed suicide and made a real mess of it. Do you know what it is like for children to find their parent hanging from the rafters, with a bullet in the head, or having jumped from 4th floor, or lying in vomit after a bottle of whisky and 10+ paracetamol, or smashed up by oncoming high speed train (I have friends who have all lived through such experiences).

Much better for children to be told of the decision, the date, and given the choice to be there or not- with favourite music, in favourite place- and just go to sleep peacefully and not wake up. Knowing it is guaranteed failsafe and painless. And for it to be all legal and above board, with everything in place for post death.

Where is this legal?

Certainly not in Switzerland. Once you are no longer to activate the valve, or hold the potion and drink it yourself, and no longer able to clearly state that this is what you want, and 100% without coercion, and without hesitation, fully aware this is final- then no power of attorney or directives can allow assisted dying. It can mean DNR, no active treatment, feeding, antibiotics, insulin, etc, etc, but not the administration of a 'potion' that would activate your death.