The inventor of the Sarco gas chamber assisted suicide pod, Dr Philip Nitschke, has announced the creation of a ‘kill switch’ implant for people with dementia that would automatically release a lethal substance into the user’s body once they stop responding to daily prompts.
Nitschke, who is nicknamed “Dr Death” and “the Elon Musk of assisted suicide”, has told the MailOnline that his ‘kill switch’ implant is nearing the test phase.. The device would be sewn into a patient’s body – most likely in their leg – and set to beep and vibrate daily to warn the patient to turn it off.
If a patient’s dementia becomes so advanced that they ignore the beeping and vibrations, the mechanism would then release a currently unknown lethal substance into their body.
Nitschke said “You won’t forget to press it otherwise, because after the time comes it’ll start beeping and buzzing. If you really don’t know what this thing is doing, beeping and buzzing for a week I think you’ve lost a lot of capacity”.
“If you don’t know the risks that are involved by not acting, that is, that you will die, then you’re getting your wish from when you had it implanted”.
The pro-suicide campaigner believes his ‘kill switch’ could solve the so-called “dementia dilemma” – “the situation whereby someone suffering from the disease is seen as lacking the mental capacity to consent to their death”.
Nitschke’s proposals already raising serious issues
Plans for the implant are already mired in uncertainty, with Nitschke saying there are “very real problems”. He admitted that he is unsure which deadly substance would be used, adding that there are “a series of legal problems” with the ‘kill switch’.
However, he also said the device would “work well enough and be reliable enough for people to see it as the answer to a very, very difficult problem”.
Nitschke has also accepted that removing the implant could be difficult for a person experiencing cognitive decline, as such patients “are not in a position to negotiate the removal of this device”.
Critics blast “macabre” plans
Considering the proposals, Emily Lawford from Prospect magazine underlined the dangers of the mechanism, saying “It’s macabre – and would be impossible to regulate and safeguard against abuse or pressure, let alone to find doctors willing to insert the implant”.
Alistair Thompson from campaign group Care Not Killing blasted the “chilling” plans, saying “This is yet another chilling development from Dr Death who brought us the personalised gas chamber”.
Thompson added “Not content with advocating for killing vulnerable terminally ill adults, he has turned his attention to those with neurodegenerative conditions”.
“But we should not be surprised, because when a society decides that some lives are worthless and should be ended, this is the slippery slope you quickly go down”.
The warnings came after Nitschke said people from the UK have already shown significant interest in his new device. Last year, ahead of Second Reading of the assisted suicide Bill, Nitschke announced he is “absolutely” keen on bringing his Sarco suicide machine to the UK if the assisted suicide Bill passes, and described his machine as a “stylish” and “elegant” option for assisted suicide.
A person ends their own life inside the 3D-printed Sarco pod by pushing a button that injects nitrogen gas into the sealed gas chamber. The nitrogen causes them to suffocate to death.
However, the use of the ‘Sarco machine’ has been dogged by controversy. Last year, prosecutors in Switzerland banned its use because they were concerned not only about the legality of its use in the country but also about potential ethical issues surrounding its implementation.
Leading legal academics have confirmed with The Telegraph that the assisted suicide pods will be legal under the proposed legislation.
Professor of law and constitutional government at St John’s College, Oxford, Richard Ekins KC said, “If Kim Leadbeater’s Bill passes, and if the Secretary of State approves liquid nitrogen as an approved substance, then the Sarco death pod would be a lawful means to assist suicide in Britain”.
Nitschke has also been in contact with Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, encouraging him to make use of his ‘Sarco’ suicide machine, should McArthur’s assisted suicide bill pass.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “Nitschke’s ‘kill switch’ for dementia patients is a deeply perverse concept that we should all hope never comes to fruition. This bizarre dystopian device is a total distortion of healthcare”.
“Nitschke’s dangerous inventions should serve as a wake-up call to politicians considering the reckless assisted suicide Bills in Westminster and Holyrood. Rather than promoting assisted suicide, the UK must reject these extreme proposals and instead prioritise properly funded, high-quality palliative care for those at the end of their life”.
