Live data from Hacker News

'Suicide pod' is completely legal and approved for use in Switzerland

unilad.com

51–60 of 112 posts

Re: 'Suicide pod' is completely legal and approved for use in Switzerland

#51

Suicide should NOT be as stigmatized as it currently is in modern society. Everyone was brought into this world without their permission, they should be able to leave it in a safe and reliable way too.

The idea of "brought into the world" somehow establishes that we were somewhere before. What would that be?

IKEA

Re: 'Suicide pod' is completely legal and approved for use in Switzerland

#53
The claim that the pod is legal in Switzerland has been fact checked by multiple news organizations, and is false. Here's one article with lots of references that correct an initial misleading viral interview by the pod creator:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/12/27/fac...

This thing is illegal everywhere and has not been tested.

Re: 'Suicide pod' is completely legal and approved for use in Switzerland

#55
post #12

I think it’s funny that this page has a “If you or someone you know is struggling or in mental health crisis …” blurb at the bottom. This is like Bud Light saying “please drink responsibly”. The entire point of this invention seems to be to lower the barrier to entry to suicide, so a statement discouraging suicide seems to me a strange thing to follow with.

Not really. Maybe you got there because you're feeling out of options, and you're looking at "how to painlessly commit suicide", but you're not "opposed" to getting help, you're just pessimistic or hopeless about it.

To me, a device like this is about "having made that decision", being in control, and it being clean.

I'm a paramedic-firefighter. I have gone to every type of suicide you can imagine. And most of them are not "clean", even the ones you might think of. You can choke on vomit with an overdose. You can cause trauma (to yourself) by hanging. You can create a life threat for others (I've been to several suicides and attempts by CO poisoning) that we had to done breathing apparatus to get to the victim.

I think even the inventors of this device would say something like - we don't want suicide to be or feel like your only option, but this device can make it as ... dignified ... as it can be. And while not removing the emotional trauma of loss itself for your family, friends, or the person who finds you, it can be "one less thing" (which, when someone might be considering "all I do is cause pain and misery" can be compelling).

Re: 'Suicide pod' is completely legal and approved for use in Switzerland

#56

Suicide should NOT be as stigmatized as it currently is in modern society. Everyone was brought into this world without their permission, they should be able to leave it in a safe and reliable way too.

The idea of "brought into the world" somehow establishes that we were somewhere before. What would that be?

> The idea of "brought into the world" somehow establishes that we were somewhere before. What would that be?

Or you were nowhere/nothing, then you became something/somewhere, that action could be referred to as "brought into the world".

Re: 'Suicide pod' is completely legal and approved for use in Switzerland

#57
post #2

Finally, can't wait to the time they will legalize suicide centers with these pods where everyone, without any reason at all other than wanting it, can easily, quickly, reliably and euphorically end this non-sense called life.

I can't wait for everyone to be able to find the help they need, without any reason other than needing it, can easily, quickly, reliably and euphorically get help with their problems so they can have a fair chance and enjoying this awesome thing called life.

Re: 'Suicide pod' is completely legal and approved for use in Switzerland

#58
post #12

I think it’s funny that this page has a “If you or someone you know is struggling or in mental health crisis …” blurb at the bottom. This is like Bud Light saying “please drink responsibly”. The entire point of this invention seems to be to lower the barrier to entry to suicide, so a statement discouraging suicide seems to me a strange thing to follow with.

I mean, depending on what you believe suicide is actually harm reducing in certain situations, so sending people to get help before considering seems very in line with those believes

Re: 'Suicide pod' is completely legal and approved for use in Switzerland

#59

Suicide should NOT be as stigmatized as it currently is in modern society. Everyone was brought into this world without their permission, they should be able to leave it in a safe and reliable way too.

> Suicide should NOT be as stigmatized as it currently is in modern society.

I think that the problem here is the fact that in some cases what might drive someone to taking their life might be preventable: either with therapy, medication, supportive people around them, or a mix of all of those. Or to call out harmful behavior when it occurs on the part of others, because humans can be really horrible to one another.

That said, I guess I agree with your take, even if it sounds very antinatalist.

Maybe with the caveat that we should decisively figure out whether anything happens after death (our best guess is that nothing, though we might eventually even stimulate a near-death experience in an otherwise healthy brain to explain away any hallucinations) and in the end let people decide: either keep existing in our imperfect world, with all of the good and bad about it, or choose... eternal nothingness, until the heat death of the universe.

Re: 'Suicide pod' is completely legal and approved for use in Switzerland

#60

I’m happy that this exists, and now I’m sad that I’m happy about it. I need to make some changes in my life.

If you need someone to talk to please feel free to reach out at the email in my profile. Wishing you the best and a happy new year. Your work on your website is very impressive and life is long, a lot can change in a short time.
Post reply on HN