October 18, 2020

Letter from Ireland Doxit Podcast

Exit first met Tom Curran in 2008 when he attended our initial Irish workshop at the Seomra Spraoi anarchist collective in Dublin (because no other booked venue would host the public meeting and workshop): such was the controversy surrounding assisted suicide/ assisted dying in Ireland.

Fast forward a decade, and Tom has become the legitimate face of the Irish right to die movement.

A director of Exit International, Tom’s commitment stems from the experience of his late partner, Marie Flemming who died in 2013 after suffering for many years from MS. In recent weeks, the Irish Parliament has voted to progress a Dying with Dignity Bill to the committee stage.

Listen to Tom’s journey over the past decade and his instrumental role in pushing for a law for people with a ‘life-limiting’ condition.

Listen Here on Anchor

Listen Here on the Peaceful Pill Handbook site

September 6, 2020

Getting to know Sean Davison Podcast

Fiona Stewart

I’ve known of Sean Davison a lot longer than I’ve known the man.

But the more I talk to him and listen, the more amazed I am at his goodwill towards the world.

When Sean says he had no choice but to help the three men in South Africa who he would later be found guilty of murdering, he really means it.

He says he could not walk away.

The same applies to the help he gave his mum, Dr Patricia Ferguson, who died in New Zealand in 2010.

Sean went home to spend precious time with Pat before she died.

She wanted to die at home and went on a hunger strike in the mistaken belief that this would be a reliable and peaceful way to bring an end to her suffering (from cancer). (She did not have the Peaceful Pill Handbook which was published in 2006 but banned in NZ in 2008).

However, Pat’s hunger strike failed and it was to Sean that she then turned for help.

Being a dutiful son, he did the right thing.

The only problem was that the right thing was not the lawful thing.

This was the beginning of Sean’s troubles with the law.

This week’s Doxit Podcast provides a roller-coaster ride through Sean’s recent years of right to die activism.

He is an accidental activist for sure, but then who of us is not?

During our interview, there were times when I wanted to shake the man and tell him that the problems of the world were not his to solve.

But he would have none of it.

I can say I got some comfort in his response to my question inquiring if he would do it all again.

He replied ‘my children need a father not a matyr’.

Thank goodness for fatherhood!

You are invited to listen to Sean Davison at Exit International’s Podcast website at Anchor.fm/doxit or wherever you get your podcast streams.

August 16, 2020

Sarco X Arrives with Oxygen Dropping to < 0.6% in 50 Seconds

History

After more than two years in development, Exit is pleased to say the latest version of the Sarco euthanasia capsule – Sarco X – has passed its final round of laboratory testing.

What does this mean you ask?

It means that Sarco is ready for use!

Sarco X is the 5th iteration of the Sarco concept.

The first 2 Sarcos were stainless steel test tanks. The first tests featured in the Vice Media documentary Time to Die.

The 3rd Sarco was a laser-cut wood feature mould. This was exhibited at the Amsterdam Funeral Fair in 2018.

The 4th Sarco was exhibited at Venice Design 2019 and is now on display at the Cube Design Museum in the Netherlands.

The 5th Sarco is the one that is destined for use in the context of a peaceful and reliable death, most likely in Switzerland.

Concept

The concept of Sarco is to create an oxygen-free environment where the person inside the capsule breathes normally, but in a hypoxic environment.

The hypoxia creates a euphoric feeling before the person loses consciousness and dies peacefully soon after.

The Sarco capsule replaces the Exit Bag.

Sarco supplants the yuk factor of a plastic bag with a beautiful 3D-printed enclosure that gives a nod towards future travel to a destination unknown.

The death that Sarco creates is extremely peaceful.

Another important factor of the Sarco is that it is moveable and can be transported to a location of one’s choosing: be it the mountains, a lake or a favourite view.

And while Sarco X is a single person capsule (and pet?), it will be possible in the future to design and print a couples’ model for those who want to go together.

Science

As mentioned above, Sarco X is now complete and ready to be used. In order to reach this final completion stage, the capsule was subject to rigorous, repeated lab testing to ensure that the oxygen level within the capsule would plummet sufficiently and in a short enough time frame to ensure a peaceful and reliable death would result.

Philip Nitschke was pleased (and relieved) to establish that the level of oxygen within the capsule dropped from 21%* to < 0.6% within 50 seconds.

* The air we all breathe contains 21% oxygen.

Aesthetics & 3D Print

In conceptualising the Sarco, beauty and design were foremost considerations. As such, Sarco X reflects the profile of the human figure at rest. The plastic from which it has been printed is translucent in nature. Gentle mauve LED lighting strips create a welcome and comforting embrace.

The importance of 3D-printing the Sarco is to ensure its replication is legal. Exit has no plans to supply or sell the Sarco. Rather, the plans will be included in The Peaceful Pill eHandbook.

It is for the reader to take the plans to a 3D-printer in their local area and take it from there. It is their decision as to whether the Sarco is used as an oxygen health capsule or as a vehicle to an ‘imaginary heaven‘.

Future Plans

With Sarco now complete, Exit is commissioning a custom trailer to ensure that Sarco can truly be moved. Important features of the trailer are the low wheel base for easy access and the 360 degree rotating platform for view selection perfection.

Until the onset of COVID-19, Exit expected Sarco to be used in 2020. However with international travel now very difficult, it remains to be seen just when Sarco will be used for the first time.

More about Sarco is at Sarco.design

Listen to the Doxit Podcast on Sarco (16 Aug 2020)

July 18, 2020

VAD Survey Results

VAD Survey by Dr David Swanton, Ethical Rights, Canberra Australia

(Survey developed in conjunction with Dr Wendy Gunthorpe, Straight Talk Consulting)

Survey Background

• Survey conducted: 27 July 2020 –  27 February 2021
• Sent to World Federation of Right to Die Societies, Exit International, Dying with Dignity (DWD) and Voluntary Euthanasia Societies (VES), who then forwarded it to their members
• 1640 responses worldwide, ≈1.5% response rate, error ≤3% (95% confidence)
• That is, given a response to a particular question of, for example 60%, we can be 95% sure that the true percentage of the population who would choose a response lies within the margin of error, that is between 57% and 63%

Demographics

• 60% Australia, 18% USA, 6% other European, 5% UK
• 60% female, 92% were >50y, and 40% were 70–79y
• 76% not religious;
• 68% have at least one higher degree
• 45% belong to Exit, 43% to DWDs, 16% to VESs, and 13% to other organisations
• 72% did not have disability; 29% of those had particular needs
• In Australia, 32% had no preferred political party. Supported parties were Greens (20%), Labor (18%), and Liberal (18%)
• Most people joined to obtain information, practical advice and support their organisation

Attitudes I – VAD Eligibility

Attitudes II – Desired Location of Death

Attitudes III – Quality of Life

Summary of Results

• There is a need for VAD to be legalised.
• VAD advocates are mainly older, well-educated, not religious and generally not interested in travelling to another country to die.
• Regulatory systems should focus on permitting well-informed persons with decision making capacity making voluntary decisions to die.
• Less importance should be attached to being terminally ill, having doctors administer drugs, residency/citizenship or having limited life expectancy.
• People with advance directives and those suffering unbearably, (not terminally ill) should have access to VAD.
• Doctors should be able to prescribe a lethal drug and non-doctors should be permitted to assist with VAD.
• Consideration should be given to expanding VAD regulation to give access to those suffering from mental illness, dementia, clinical depression and children.

Legalised VAD provides

• reduced suffering
• comfort knowing that their end of life needs will be met and illegal options will be unnecessary
• peace of mind knowing that they won’t suffer if their mental situation worsens with VAD-relevant advance directives won’t require doctors for drug administration
  can have a spouse or partner present at their death