Switzerland Not Neutral On The Issue Of 'Suicide Tourism'

October 30, 2009 at 9:19 AM | by JetSetCD | Comments (0)

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Swiss hot chocolate and powdery ski slopes...these are a few of our favorite things. These are also a selection of heart-warming images that usually call to mind thoughts of traveling to Switzerland, and we'd never imagine having to add "assisted suicide" to the list. But alack and alas, it's true that Switzerland allows people to end their lives legally, so long as the decision is "not motivated by their own interests."

As a result of these liberal laws, Swiss towns that usually welcome tourists for things like good chocolate and yodeling have also become destinations for those who check in only to check out permanently. It's a depressing story—excuse us for dampening your Friday morning—but it's a large issue now in Switzerland and Britain as the Swiss seek to put further rules on who can get assisted suicide and CNN points out that many of suicide tourists are British, averaging two per month since 2002.

CNN specifically points to the case of a 23-year-old British man who, after being paralyzed from the neck down in a rugby accident, chose to travel to Switzerland with his parents and seek his end at a Swiss suicide clinic. The parents, after returning to Britain, were apparently questioned by police, although no charges were made. If the Swiss authorities have their way—since what country wants to be known for death tourism?—new restrictions would not allow cases like this to use their suicide services, since his condition was not terminal.

Nonetheless, suicide tourists arrive from all over and like it or not, contribute to Switzerland's tourism industry with hotel stays, airline tickets, last meals, and a tad bit of sightseeing before kicking the bucket. Thankfully the numbers aren't so great that Switzerland would think it lucrative enough to promote this angle, since "suicide tourism" is the saddest pair of words we've ever read.

Related Stories:
· 'Death Tourism' Leads Swiss To Consider Ban On Assisted Suicide [Guardian UK]
· Swiss plan controls on 'suicide tourism' [CNN]
· Travel News coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: WebDiva]

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