Euthanasia is the process by which a person's life is allowed to end on its own for the reason of reducing suffering. It is common in animals but is a controversial topic when done in humans because it is seen as suicidal. Switzerland will soon allow the first euthanasia pods to be offered to those who wish to end their suffering.
Euthanasia advocacy group The Last Resort said the Sarco pods will begin operations in just a few months. Sarco pumps nitrogen gas into an airtight chamber. Within 30 seconds, the oxygen content in the air will drop from 21% to 0.05% causing the individual in the pod to experience hypoxia causing death within 5 minutes. According to The Last Resort, individuals inside the Sacro will not be tortured and will die peacefully.
Sacro was first shown in 2019 after being developed for six years. To begin the euthanasia process, individuals need to undergo a psychiatric screening to ensure they are not being coerced and are aware of what they want to do. The nitrogen gas release button inside the Sacro will be pressed by the individual.
Although the cost of building Sarco is €650,000 (~RM 3.3 million), only 18 Swiss francs (~RM94) is charged to the individual which is the cost of the nitrogen bottles used. Switzerland is among the countries that allow the practice of euthanasia for serious health reasons.