Euthanasia in European countries. Euthanasia statistics. What is euthanasia

A suitable phrase to define euthanasia is the painless termination of the life of a patient suffering from an incurable disease and experiencing physical and moral torment. In order to somehow alleviate the plight of patients, in different countries of the world the use of drugs that lead to the death of the patient is legalized. In 2015 alone, euthanasia statistics in Holland revealed the death of 5,500 people.

Types of euthanasia

The modern classification of euthanasia divides it into two types: active and passive. The first is related to the actions of medical staff with the administration of injections that provoke the death of the patient. The second is associated with the refusal to continue treatment measures for the patient at his request or the desire of relatives. Today, the practice of passive euthanasia is controversial for the terminally ill person. Its types can:

• painlessly accelerate a person in an unconscious state, when disconnected from vital functions;
• increase excruciating pain if the patient refuses treatment.

Procedure for active assisted dying

What is active euthanasia and how are injections given to terminally ill patients? If we move away from the moral aspect of this procedure, then the optimal option is when the euthanasia drugs are administered by a doctor. A competent specialist is able to perform such actions with the least suffering for the patient and track the completion of the process by reactions.

The procedure consists of two stages: the introduction of drugs that suppress the action of the central nervous system (they relieve pain). Next, drugs are administered to stop breathing.

Russian legislation

According to the main document of the Russian Federation, every person has the right to medical care (Article 41 of the Constitution). From a legal point of view, the state has a negative attitude towards euthanasia. The legislation on health protection stipulates a ban on euthanasia (Article 45 of the Federal Law-332-FZ). An article of the law does not allow doctors to carry out this action on a patient, even at his request. And also stop supporting activities necessary for the patient’s life.

Euthanasia in Russia is equivalent to (Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). But on the other hand, Law 323-FZ “On the Fundamentals of Health Protection...” gives the patient or his relatives the right to refuse treatment. In Belgium this is called passive euthanasia. But in Russia it is prohibited.

It is quite difficult to understand whether euthanasia is allowed or not in modern jurisprudence. Since one article conflicts with another. If it’s a matter of terminology, then it is possible, at the request of the relatives, to disconnect a terminally ill patient from the artificial respiration apparatus and not call it euthanasia. It can also be called medical negligence when discharging a cancer patient home and leaving him without strong painkillers. Or “scold” emergency room doctors who refuse to come and give an anesthetic injection to a seriously ill patient.

Recently, an application to register the trademark “Euthanasia-tour” was submitted to the Russian Patent Office. Entrepreneurs offer to travel to Switzerland to ensure legal death. The cost of the service is 5000 per person per trip.

Today, the issue of euthanasia is being raised more and more often. In many countries there is a ban on euthanasia of the active form. But the passive type is allowed, although it is not called by this word everywhere. The following arguments for euthanasia can be distinguished:

• human freedom lies in the fact that he has the right to choose an easy death for himself if he is unable to endure physical and moral torment;
• interrupting a life consisting of nothing but suffering is an act of mercy;
• some patients, unable to withstand physical pain and moral suffering, end their lives in a more traumatic way;
• funds spent on maintaining the lives of hopeless patients can be spent on treating other patients.

The church is categorically against euthanasia. Here they believe that only God can decide how long a person should live. People who do not rely on the opinion of church representatives, when considering the pros and cons of euthanasia, talk about the value of human life in all its manifestations, including suffering.

Opponents of assistance in early death talk about the danger of abuse by relatives or doctors.

Pointing to moral and ethical relations, part of society does not allow the doctor to be assigned the functions of an executioner. According to the principle of “euthanasia for and against”, two directions are distinguished: liberal and conservative approach to the problem. The first allows artificial interruption of life to reduce suffering, the second denies it.

The issue of voluntary early death should be resolved in parallel, or even after the issue of palliative medicine is resolved. The standard of living in hospice: a friendly attitude, good care, a sufficient amount of strong painkillers, allow patients to live out their term in a state of relative well-being and not strive to hasten the end.

The situation with voluntary interruption of life in the world

Today, euthanasia statistics show an increase in countries that legally allow voluntary death for medical reasons. In Europe, countries that allow euthanasia are Holland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Sweden and Switzerland.

Before euthanasia was widely used in Europe. Z. Freud used this method of dying, having survived 19 operations to remove a tumor of the palate. Germany, in the process of conquest, so discredited this concept that euthanasia ceased to be used in Europe.

The table below shows how attitudes towards voluntary death have changed over the past century:

After euthanasia in the Netherlands became the first step towards spreading this practice throughout the world, as the Dutch refused to provide this service to foreigners. Today Belgium is the only country where this procedure is available for children with incurable diseases. In Switzerland, euthanasia statistics show the following reasons for dying:

• oncological diseases – 44%;
• neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's disease) – 14%;
• heart and vascular diseases – 9%;
• depression – 3%;
• other reasons – 30%.

At the same time, there were interesting cases in Switzerland - joint euthanasia of spouses, one of whom was terminally ill. I immediately remember the Indian ritual “sati”, when a woman went to the fire on which her husband’s corpse was burned.

Statistics of euthanasia in the world lead people to Mexico, where the price for 100 ml of a means for euthanasia ranges from 20 to 40 dollars and leads to the desired result within an hour.

The countries of the former USSR, as euthanasia statistics show, are not ready to introduce “legal murder” into existing laws. For example, euthanasia is a criminal offense in Belarus. In addition, in the Republic of Belarus there is an article for inducing a patient to end his life.

Despite the fact that euthanasia is prohibited by law in Ukraine, a passive type of procedure exists behind the scenes. In rural areas, where there is no way to get expensive medicines, people die without receiving medical care.

Attitudes towards legal death in Kazakhstan

Euthanasia is officially prohibited in Kazakhstan, but there are quite a few supporters of this procedure in the country. Every year, 30 thousand people are diagnosed with cancer, 17 thousand of them die. In the last months of life, many would like to get rid of the torment with the help of a “death injection”. According to surveys by Comcon-2 Eurasia, 300 people from Almaty over the age of 16 years:

According to WHO, it ranks second among people worldwide. With so many diseases that lead to excruciating pain at the end of life, the question of euthanasia can only be considered if the patient is close to death. As you can see in modern society, euthanasia is still an open topic.

Euthanasia is the compassionate act of ending the life of a terminally ill person. However, in reality, we are not necessarily talking about murder - much more often it means providing the patient with the opportunity to die independently, with dignity (for example, a prescription for a lethal dose of an anesthetic)

What is the difference between euthanasia and suicide?

Suicide is traditionally condemned in society, and supporters of euthanasia insist on a legally and morally acceptable alternative, when voluntary death is considered a natural continuation of medical care if suffering is unbearable and there is no chance of recovery.

In addition, many seriously ill people would like to commit suicide, but they cannot, because they are very weak or paralyzed.

In which countries is euthanasia legal?

In the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, 6 US states, Luxembourg and Colombia.

In Germany, Sweden, India, Japan, Israel, Canada and some other countries, under certain conditions, refusal of resuscitation measures or no punishment for participation in euthanasia are allowed. And in France they recently found it possible to conduct terminal sedation- putting the patient into medicated sleep until natural death occurs.

How is euthanasia performed?

Where euthanasia is permitted, in most cases it simply involves issuing a prescription for a lethal drug. This happens after the patient repeatedly and in the presence of witnesses expresses a desire to die, and a commission of doctors comes to the conclusion that the disease is irreversible, and the person is aware of his decision.

Is euthanasia available to children?

In two countries - the Netherlands and Belgium - euthanasia can be carried out in the event of a child's incurable illness. In the Dutch version - from 12 years old (subject to parental consent), in the Belgian version - without age restrictions.

What does the church think about this?

There is no unified position on this issue within the Christian Church. Catholics deny euthanasia; Protestants consider it acceptable to stop treatment if there is no hope of success.

The Orthodox Church, despite its denial of euthanasia, allows the ventilator to be turned off when brain death is detected. The position of Jews and Muslims on this issue is approximately the same.

Hindus allow the possibility of suicide for terminally ill patients, perceiving such death as spiritual cleansing. Buddhists do not have strict concepts about the absolute value of human life, but for religious people it is very important to face death with a clear mind, so they do not allow terminal sedation.

What is the situation with euthanasia in Russia?

In our country euthanasia is prohibited by law. At the same time, refusal of resuscitation is also possible in our country - in the terminal stages of incurable diseases or in cases where the patient himself signed an order in advance in this regard.

However, do not confuse refusal of resuscitation with euthanasia - no one can decide of their own free will when their heart stops.

In all other cases, domestic lawyers strictly monitor doctors’ prescriptions, even if their goal is not death, but alleviation of the patient’s suffering: in this sense, the story of Dr. Khorinyak, who was subject to criminal prosecution for three years for prescribing painkillers to a cancer patient, is very indicative.

What can hopeless patients do?

The only option for helping people with a terminal diagnosis in our country is hospices and palliative care units, the goal of which is to relieve pain and improve the quality of life of such patients.

There are only two such government institutions in our region - one is located in Krasnoyarsk (a mobile palliative care team based at Hospital No. 2), and the other is in Norilsk. Another organization is the “Visiting Zheleznogorsk Hospice named after. Vasily and Zoya Starodubtsev" - works on a private basis.

Another option, although not available to everyone, is Swiss clinics that provide assisted suicides in this European country.

According to the laws of Switzerland, a foreigner can come there for euthanasia. The cost of a set of services for consultation, examination and lethal injection is, according to some sources, from 4 to 7 thousand euros (306-535 thousand rubles).

Translated from Greek, euthanasia means “good death,” and at all times the ability of a seriously ill person to die of his own free will, without experiencing pain and suffering, has been supported or contested by the religious, secular and medical communities. Today we know which countries allow euthanasia. In them, by the way, even a special type of medical tourism has developed - suicide tourism, that is, a trip for the opportunity to die without legal delays.

Story

In fact, killing sick people and even children has been practiced at all times. The term has Greek roots, since it was the Greeks who first adopted the practice of finishing off wounded comrades on the battlefield so that they would not suffer from incurable injuries. We all remember the ancient Spartans, who threw sick or crippled children off cliffs not only to relieve themselves from worries, but also to stop the child’s suffering. By the way, such practices, according to the research of ethnographers, were also in use among ancient peoples, for example, the Far North or Oceania until the 19th century.

In the modern world, before the Second World War, some European countries did not ban euthanasia, and this did not contradict the moral and ethical principles of society. However, the fascist T4 program, during which the Germans, fighting for purity, killed mentally retarded people and even children, as well as patients with mental disorders, discredited these ideas for the next 50 years.

Theory and practice of euthanasia

In the modern world, euthanasia is the humane termination of the life of a terminally ill person with his (or his relatives) consent in order to relieve him of suffering. It is used mainly in cases where the patient’s quality of life is at the lowest level, and he is in pain, but there is no chance of recovery.

Also today there are two types of euthanasia:

• Passive - used in cases where the patient is connected to a life support system. In this case, doctors simply disconnect the person from life-sustaining devices. Most often this is done for patients in deep coma with the permission of relatives.
• Active - administering drugs to the patient that guarantee a quick and painless death. These are usually injections or medications in liquid form, representing a cocktail of sedatives, barbiturates and anesthesia. This also includes cases when a doctor can provide a person with the necessary amount of medicine for his independent death.

Different aspects of euthanasia

A difficult and terrible choice - to continue to live with an incurable disease, experiencing pain and suffering, dooming loved ones to it, or to make a decision while a person is still able to think sensibly - this is the main issue of euthanasia. The main stumbling blocks in matters of its legalization are legal, ethical and religious.

The simplest aspect is the legal one. In countries where euthanasia is prohibited, it is regarded as murder. In some other states, euthanasia as such is not allowed, but it is used, but veiled under other procedures. This is done so that the doctor performing the procedure does not experience problems with the law in the future.

It is more difficult with moral and religious aspects. On the one hand, this is suicide and murder, and in most religions this is a mortal sin, and even in the Soviet state there is high pressure on a person in these matters. The state often cannot take responsibility and allow people to manage someone else’s life, even with the permission of the patient himself. And many doctors do not dare to perform such duties, since they contradict not only moral principles, but also the Hippocratic Oath.

In Russia

Speaking about which countries allow euthanasia, it is worth noting that the Russian Federation is not included in this list. In our country, this is equivalent to murder in terms of degree of responsibility, and this issue is regulated by the Criminal Code and legislation, namely Federal Law No. 323 “On the fundamentals of protecting the health of citizens in the Russian Federation.”

Considering which countries allow euthanasia for foreigners, Russian citizens can only go on their last trip to one of them for now. The last time in 2007, on behalf of the deputies, a proposal was put forward to amend the Criminal Code and allow euthanasia in Russia, but the proposal was met with violent indignation from the public and was withdrawn.

Which country allows euthanasia of people?

After the brutal murders of millions of people by the Nazis, euthanasia was banned throughout the civilized world. Only 50 years later this issue began to be raised in Europe. Thanks to this, today we know in which countries euthanasia is allowed. The list looks like this:

• Netherlands.
• Belgium.
• Luxembourg.
• Albania.
• Switzerland (Zurich only).
• USA (Oregon, Washington, Georgia only).
• Canada.

Having clarified in which countries euthanasia is allowed, we note that there are countries where there is no official legalization, but precedents do exist there. These are Japan and Colombia. In some cases, these countries even have legal proceedings. However, in these countries euthanasia is actually possible.

Current practice

In 1984, the Netherlands were the first to legalize the right to voluntary death for seriously and painfully ill people. Following the Netherlands, others joined the practice, namely Belgium and Luxembourg. In Luxembourg, by the way, a patient intending to undergo euthanasia must obtain the consent of two doctors at once. Here, doctors make and keep relevant records to prove that the decision to die was made by the patient or relatives, and was not a mistake or criminal will of the doctor himself.

In 1999, Albania allowed passive euthanasia for comatose patients with the consent of three relatives. Despite the legislative authorization of the procedure, the Catholic Church, which is very strong in the country, is promoting the ban on euthanasia.

Since 2002, in Holland, children over 12 years of age have the right to euthanasia, and since 2014 in Belgium, any age restrictions have been removed, that is, even a child of any age can receive euthanasia with the consent of his parents or guardians.

Since the Netherlands and Belgium are countries with some of the most lenient conditions for euthanasia, the authorities, fearing an influx of suicidal tourists, have made a number of reservations that tighten the conditions of the procedure. For example, it is assumed that a trusting relationship must develop between the patient and the doctor.

Since 1941, euthanasia has been legal in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland. And here suicide tourism is flourishing, mainly citizens of England and Germany, knowing in which countries euthanasia is allowed, go to Zurich for a lethal injection. Thanks to the leniency of local laws, people are literally queuing up for the opportunity to die. Moreover, until 2011, to the question: “In which countries is euthanasia allowed for the healthy, that is, not for the terminally ill?” - the Swiss had an answer: “In Zurich.” The rebellious public forced the government to adopt appropriate amendments, and now only seriously ill citizens of the whole world can meet death here.

In 2016, Canada lifted its ban on physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. The bill is currently undergoing formal approval. However, according to it, not all patients can receive this right, but only degenerative ones, that is, those whose tragic end is close and undeniable. That is, for example, those suffering from multiple sclerosis cannot be helped to die by law, just like those who suffer from severe pain without specific predictions about how long the person will live.

Points for and against

All over the world, opponents and supporters of euthanasia provide compelling arguments in defense of their position. And such a complex and serious question, for every argument for, there is an opposite argument against.

And the first argument for euthanasia says that life is good only when it has meaning and brings happiness, which, for example, terminally ill patients are definitely deprived of. The opposite argument suggests that the choice is not between a happy and unhappy life, but between existing in principle and ending it in any form. Undoubtedly, the end of life is difficult to consider as a good thing.

Those who know how expensive and difficult it is to support the life of a seriously ill person or a disabled and comatose person also speak for euthanasia. Especially if you try to ensure a normal quality of life. Opponents usually respond that the economic aspect still does not make it possible to reconcile murder with the moral and ethical standards of modern humanity.

Knowing which countries allow euthanasia and why, it is difficult not to agree that these are developed and prosperous countries with a high standard of living, where the quality of this life comes first. And the loss of this quality entails a loss of interest in life as such. Perhaps this explains the loyal laws that allow euthanasia to be used on children or patients not in the terminal stage of the disease.

Opinion of the public and doctors about the problem

Despite the fact that public figures, politicians, and the medical world deny euthanasia in the vast majority of countries, the public as a whole is not opposed to such an idea. Thus, according to a survey of Russian Internet users, 50 percent of respondents do not see anything terrible in euthanasia and consider it one of the human rights to freedom of choice.

Psychologists believe that this is due to the personal attitudes of most people, who, in the event of an incurable illness, would not want to become a burden to relatives and experience torment.

Surveys of medical portals conducted among young doctors show a similar division in the professional sphere - only half of those surveyed are generally in favor of the use of euthanasia, including in Russia.

The most notorious cases in the modern world

In 1939, the famous Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud voluntarily passed away with the assistance of his doctor. Freud suffered from an incurable form of oral cancer and underwent more than 30 operations to remove tumors before he died. Moreover, they were carried out under local anesthesia, since general anesthesia was not yet used in such cases.

The Belgian writer Hugo Claus, taking advantage of his country's loyal laws, accepted euthanasia, although he only had the first stage of cancer. But the French teacher Chantal Sebier, whose face was disfigured by a rare form of tumor, having not received the right to voluntary death in her native country, intended to go to Switzerland, knowing in which countries human euthanasia is allowed. However, in 2008, she committed suicide by injecting barbiturates.

The euthanasia of two shoemaker brothers, who began to lose their sight and could not come to terms with the fact that they would never see each other again, also caused a loud scandal. Despite not having a serious illness, they received lethal injections in Switzerland.

Komsomolskaya Pravda correspondent Dina Karpitskaya looked into whether assistance in voluntary death is a manifestation of humanity or a crime

Today in Russia, euthanasia and all other types of assisted dying are strictly illegal. PHOTO Alexander Ryumin/TASS.

Some call euthanasia the right to a dignified death, others call it legalized murder and a terrible sin. And find out what it really is. God forbid anyone.

Officially, euthanasia and assisted suicide are allowed in only a few countries - Belgium (since 2002), the Netherlands, Switzerland (since 1942), five US states, Luxembourg (since 2009), Canada (since 2016). There are also countries where euthanasia is seemingly not allowed, but not prohibited either - Germany, France, Spain, Albania, Israel... Every year the list of states that side with the right to die grows.

In Russia, all types of assisted dying are strictly illegal. Although thousands of seriously ill people are literally begging for it. People suffering from terminal cancer, immobilized disabled people, victims of car accidents who find themselves forever bedridden. When there is no longer any means to help them, a person with hellish pain is simply sent home to die. And all that remains for relatives and friends is to go through all the circles of hell in attempts to get painkillers or somehow make the life of the dying person easier.

At such moments, people begin to look for another way out.

“THE STRANGLED OUT HIS OWN MOTHER”

Several stories from crime reports over recent years.

56-year-old Moscow university teacher Vladimir Olkhovsky strangled his own mother. A 78-year-old pensioner suffered from terminal liver cancer. “She screamed so much and asked to kill her so much that I couldn’t stand it and agreed,” Vladimir said in court. Doctors confirmed that his mother had literally a few days to live. The professor was given 9 years.

Pavel Kovalenko from the Saratov region shot and killed his sick wife Elena (esophageal cancer). The woman was discharged from the hospital to die. She could neither eat nor drink and suffered from terrible pain. After drinking vodka for courage, Pavel took a sawed-off shotgun and pointed the barrel at his wife’s chest. Then he tried to commit suicide, but failed. Sentenced to 6 years.

Muscovite Yuri Kiseletsky killed his 93-year-old mother with a hammer blow to the head. The woman was a bedridden patient. She begged all her friends and family to give her a lethal dose of pills. But in the end it was her own son who decided to kill. Yuri did not live to see the trial - he hanged himself in a temporary detention center.

Due to the lack of accessible palliative care, Russians are trying in wild ways to fulfill the last wishes of their dying relatives. According to official statistics from the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, today about 600,000 people are waiting for a place in hospices. And although the number of hospices is constantly growing, there are still not enough places.

According to official statistics from the Russian Ministry of Health, today about 600,000 people are waiting for a place in hospices. PHOTO Mikhail TERESHCHENKO/TASS

“WE BUYED HER HEROIN”

We communicated with Svetlana (name changed) on VKontakte in a thematic group under the self-explanatory name “Euthanasia”. I vowed not to give out her address and delete all letters immediately after reading them.

We are from a small provincial town. The hospital is in the regional center 60 kilometers from us. Of course, they triggered my mother’s illness. It took us six months just to examine and make an accurate diagnosis. We went to Moscow to the Herzen Institute. All the money was collected from friends, acquaintances, and some things were sold. But they didn’t take my mother to treatment. It was too late. Rectal cancer, inoperable stage. You can’t imagine how she suffered. I still cry remembering this hell. The older sister dropped everything and came from St. Petersburg to help us.

The doctors said: “Make her feel warm and calm. That's all that's possible. She has three months left.” It’s very scary to realize that nothing can be done. You just watch a loved one die slowly and painfully. Prescribing strong painkillers with drugs back then was akin to a feat (the story with Svetlana’s mother happened before 2015, after 2015, when the number of suicides in cancer patients began to gain massive momentum, writing prescriptions for drugs became much easier. - Ed.). My sister and I were on duty. Otherwise I would have gone crazy. My sister gets medicine, I’m at home with my mother. Then vice versa. And you also have to support your family and children. If the pills ran out, my mother screamed so loudly that I was ready to jump out of the window myself. She asked us to kill her, to give her sleeping pills so she could fall asleep and not wake up. And the cousin already got a real drug - heroin. Just in case.

- Was it useful?

Yes. I never thought that I would be brewing a dose in my kitchen. But I had to, more than once. And then I saw a story on TV about euthanasia. I went online and read it. I sent my sister a link to a website about euthanasia in a private message. I couldn't say that out loud. Tanya didn't talk to me for three days. And then we sat down and began to think about what to do. Sending my mother to Switzerland for 8,000 euros was unaffordable for us, of course.

Immediately on the Internet, “knowledgeable people” explained to the sisters: an analogue of the very drug that is prescribed to those who come to Switzerland to commit suicide can be bought in China through the website.

Mom immediately agreed. Now I understand how terrible it all sounds, but at the time we were all relieved. She even somehow became more cheerful, and it was as if the pain was not so strong. It was a quiet week, we joked and watched movies. But then the pain returned. We had everything ready. We just diluted the mixture and mom drank it.

- The police did not suspect anything?

No. The three months prescribed for her by doctors have long passed. The death certificate states that she died from an underlying disease. Only my sister and I know about what really happened.

- Do you regret what you did?

No. If this happens to me, I will order the powder myself.

“I WILL LEAVE THE APARTMENT TO SOMEONE WHO SENDS ME TO SWITZERLAND”

I have been disabled since childhood - cerebral palsy. Now the mother is caring, but when she dies, then what? She is 65, I am 40. All I can do on my own is see, hear, breathe and speak. There is no pill for my illness. So I'm ready to die. I know all the ways to die painlessly and quickly. But who will assist me? I can’t leave the house on my own; I can’t reach the front door. I really hope that somehow I can save up. I will leave the apartment to someone who will help me get to Switzerland.

Several members of a group of “good death” supporters suggested contacts for a person who would be willing to advise me on how to die painlessly. I contacted him. And although I had a legend prepared, he instantly figured out that I was a journalist and collecting information.

A suicide trip to Switzerland is a dream for many. But it is expensive and not so easy. Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS

REVELATIONS OF A “SUICIDE CONSULTANT”:

People come to us differently: some are terminally ill, others are tired of living

“Don’t ask for any details about me,” the interlocutor immediately warned (we communicated on the social network). - Let's just call me Mr. G. The fact is that according to our legislation, all this advice is illegal. And if the authorities are interested, then you can fall under the criminal article of “assisting suicide.”

Even in a virtual conversation, it was clear that the person was educated. Knows several languages ​​and understands complex terms. Euthanasia is his hobby, and he promotes this idea to the masses. For example, he runs a YouTube channel in two languages, and translates thematic books, films and lectures.

A suicide trip to Switzerland is a dream for many. But it is expensive and not so easy. In the same Swiss clinic Dignitas, only two Russians visited the same Swiss clinic in 20 years. So I can’t help you go to the West. The only thing is to suggest a way to pass away painlessly at home. The drug, which is given to take in a Swiss clinic, could previously be illegally ordered in China for $300. The contacts of suppliers whose products have been tested in laboratories are known to all those interested thanks to the Australian doctor Philip Nitschke and his book. This is the same Doctor Death who presented the suicide capsule at the exhibition that year. In his native Australia, Dr. Nitschke's books are banned. In addition, he was deprived of his medical license. But this did not stop him from conducting seminars throughout the country. He is the owner of an online store that sells devices for assisted suicide and just suicide. But you won’t be able to order anything to Russia.

Dr Death Philip Nitschke is listed on Wikipedia as an "Australian humanist". Photo: TWITTER.COM

By the way, the last reliable supplier of banned substances from China stopped communicating, as indicated in the book. It still trades, but there are a lot of scammers there. There is also an option to order the drug from Mexico: a veterinary solution - $400 for a 100 ml bottle or $600 for 2. But unlike powder from China, which goes through customs, the bottles can easily be detected on an X-ray, and then a criminal offense. I do not recommend and warn of the risks. Moreover, there is another, cheap and legal way to commit suicide.

Nitschke sells such euthanasia kits. In Russia, their purchase is impossible - it is illegal.

The “doctor” told me all the ways, where, how and what to take. We have no right to publish this. Let me just say that I was very shocked by the availability of the instruments of death.

This is roughly how my consultation goes.

- What is the price?

For sick people it’s usually free, but otherwise it’s $50. But they rarely seek advice. In total, over the course of a couple of years, I advised more than 10 people, and more than 10 actually committed suicide. I learned about the deaths of two from the news. These were young guys, and we wrote off literally the day before what happened.

- Who are these people and why do they want to die? These guys, for example, what was their reason?

There were different people: some were terminally ill, others were tired of living. I don't require a "good" reason for consultation, but that's what they usually say. One had bipolar affective disorder, the other had a physical illness that also caused psychological suffering. By the way, people without a “good” reason usually either consult for the future, or, even having bought the drug, postpone it. The instinct of self-preservation is a strong thing. About a year ago I advised a businessman - the man had everything except the desire to live. I’m still alive, happily or not, I don’t know.

- How do the police record such deaths?

How else can they record if a person killed himself. Although, sometimes the media write that there is a version of murder - this happened to one of those guys.

- Tell me, what is your philosophy? Why did you even do this?

- “This way” has a negative connotation. Death is the same right of every person as life. I know how to die painlessly - if someone also wants to know, why not. Another option is sublimation. Perhaps subconsciously I want to kill people, and this is the socially acceptable way to do it. As for discussions about euthanasia itself, well, yes, the potential for abuse is the main counter-argument, in addition to the fact that it is an ungodly act.

An Australian activist exhibited a mock-up of a “suicide capsule” in April this year at a funeral industry exhibition in Amsterdam. The “client” undergoes special tests, then takes a place inside. Last question: is death voluntary? Photo: TWITTER.COM

In Russia, issues of legalizing euthanasia were voiced a couple of times in the State Duma, and the idea itself was subject to severe criticism. After all, the right to commit death can be used by dishonest individuals.

WHAT ABOUT THEM?

One way tour

Switzerland stands a little apart from all death-tolerant countries.

Surprisingly, it was thanks to this rich and civilized country that such a terrible word as “suicide” took root next to the cheerful and carefree word “tourism”. The fact is that in Switzerland the law allows assisting suicide if there are no selfish motives. And this applies to everyone, including foreigners.

The concept of “suicide tourism” has been around for more than 20 years, ever since the Dignitas organization appeared in Zurich in 1998, thereby acting as a suicide assistant not only for local residents, but also for foreigners. By the way, the name of the clinic is translated from Latin as “Dignity”. “Live with dignity, die with dignity” says the slogan of this death factory.

According to Dignitas rules, preparing for suicide is quite a troublesome matter. A person must confirm his illness with papers and undergo consultations with at least two clinic doctors. And confirm your intention twice with a time difference. Only after this is day X assigned. Employees record everything that happens on video and provide it to the police as evidence. Some Dignitas clients don't mind the death video being seen by the general public. Short videos are now actively circulating in thematic public pages. The spectacle is not for the faint of heart. I watched one where millionaire Simon Bynner dies.

Do you understand that after you open the IV channel, poison will enter your body and you will die? - asks the voice-over.

The man nods heavily; he cannot speak because of his illness. Then he turns on the audio recording on his phone, listens to the latest declarations of love from his loved ones and opens the deadly tap of the IV. At the same time, the man smiles happily... The next shots show a coffin being loaded into a hearse. Over the years, Dignitas has lost about 2,500 lives.

There are now several similar organizations operating in Zurich. The one-way tour is, I must say, not cheap.

Here is a detailed price list of one of the clinics (all prices in euros):

3500 is an advance payment, but the doctor’s positive decision is not guaranteed and the payment is not refundable.

870 - for two consultations with a doctor.

2200 - payment if the doctor authorized assisted suicide (AS) and wrote a prescription.

440 - paperwork.

2200 - cremation.

Total: 6570 just for AS, 9210 - AS + cremation + paperwork.

“I wish to take the plunge myself into the abyss before I am pushed over the edge, and drag down the evil Fate…” – this is how Sir Terry Pratchett told Daily Mail readers two years after doctors diagnosed him with a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease . The author of the Disc World series died in 2015, daily dreaming of ending such a life.

In the UK, it is prohibited to contribute to the death of a patient even by passive intervention - disconnection from life-sustaining devices. There are states where the situation is different. Not only the famous English writer wondered in which countries euthanasia is allowed. Which governments do not prohibit ending the painful lives of patients, and where are they preparing a bill on lethal medical assistance for healthy suicides?

Euthanasia is legal: where to go to die

1. Canada has allowed patients over 19 years of age suffering from incurable diseases to contact their doctors with a request to end their existence. All necessary medications are available free of charge. There is even a special hotline created in case the attending doctor refuses the patient such services.
2. Luxembourg sympathizes with seriously ill people, helping them to die at will. In parallel with this law, the powers of the ruling Duke Henri, a staunch Catholic who opposed euthanasia, were reduced.
3. In the US, each state has the right to look at death on demand differently. This service for terminally ill patients is available in Washington, Oregon, Vermont and California. But Georgia was categorically against it: euthanasia is prohibited there.
4. In the Netherlands, since the eighties, such a will of patients has been favorably treated. Since 2002, the voluntary death of patients has been officially legalized. In this country, euthanasia of sick children from 12 years of age is allowed. A bill is being prepared, according to which medical assistance for end of life will be provided even to healthy people who, for some reason, decide to leave this mortal earth ahead of schedule.
5. Belgium has gone further than the democratic Netherlands. In this country, euthanasia is allowed not only for adult patients, but also for children of all ages in the final stages of the disease. The law specifies that although a child has the right to ask doctors to end his painful existence, a document with parental permission is still required.

The first euthanasia of a minor has already taken place in Belgium. However, the age and name of the small, seriously ill patient were never leaked to the press. The Dutch and Belgians are also not against ending the lives of mentally ill patients.

A new synonym for suicide, “Go to Switzerland,” has appeared in the English dictionary. The state, famous for its banks and ski resorts, takes on a sinister overtone thanks to clinics in the canton of Zurich. Switzerland is becoming the most attractive country for suicide tourism.

In 2009, in a Zurich hospital, doctors helped the British conductor Sir Edward Downes and his wife, suffering from cancer, end their lives. The couple lived together for half a century and decided to leave the world together. The children fully supported this decision of their parents.

Permission of euthanasia through the prism of history

If we look at the facts, it turns out that all the advanced and democratic laws aimed at legalizing voluntary and not so voluntary death with medical assistance already took place in the first half of the 20th century in one developed and prosperous country. Only it was all called “Killing Program T - 4”, also known as “Operation Tiergartenstrasse 4”, and patients were killed not in comfortable hospital wards, but in less pleasant conditions. Seriously ill people, disabled people, mentally ill people, children suffering from genetic diseases were destroyed - the list goes on. What's next for us? Forced euthanasia of unwanted members of society?

It seems that now things are softer and voluntary, and suicides even pay to go to the next world. Except for those who are not able to take responsibility for their actions and need treatment, not an injection of mercy. But relatives have the right to decide for them.

“I served my fatherland, like many before me,” were the last words of Dr. Brandt, responsible for “Operation Tiergartenstrasse 4,” before the sentence of the Nuremberg court was carried out. Doctors providing end-of-life care can say the same. However, any line is so easy to cross: who in the future will choose who can be killed?

In which countries euthanasia is allowed and in which it is not depends on your outlook on life. Ethics is determined by personal perception. The main thing is not to forget that all this has already happened and has gone far beyond the boundaries of humanity.