Death of a 'suicide tourist' to be aired on British TV

I dont think its right for TV, but a documentary is something else. It is good for these people to spread awareness and all that. I think anyone should have the right to die if they want to. Who am I to tell someone they HAVE TO live and suffer? Its clear this man knew what he was doing and had the support of his family. I say more power to him.

Of course he has the right to end his own life. Saying the contrary really makes no sense at all.

Painless, ethical way to end ones own life. Rather than dying of some moto neurological desese, or alzheimers, etc.

It may take the US a long time to catch up with western liberal thinking. So so called " suicide tourism" will only increase untill it is globally accepted.

Problem is. What is the line between relief from a condition and unnecessary suicide crossed?

Suicide in any form is such a personal decision. I don't think this is for public comsumption. If he and his wife wanted it filmed, then keep it to themselves. If it was peaceful, others may follow suit without giving it deep thought.

I think the reason why this has been filmed and will be aired is (hopefully) for the advancement of a human's right to his or her own life or death. If a man goes so far as to go to another country and to go through all the procedures to end his life legally, with his integrity intact, then that says a lot about his suffering.

I'm sure he and his wife prefer this method to a botched overdose where whoever supplied him with the medicine or whoever helped him take it would be accused of murder.

If a person is sane enough to go through with all this, then they should be allowed to make themselves die.

doesn't being a "tourist" mean you're visiting a place and then coming back home alive , with pictures to show your friends and maybe a few stories to tell and all that shit ? making yourself a corpse in Switzerland isn't really tourism i don't think .

That's a pretty big decision- to end your own life, to cease to exist at all. Its quite a big step that can't be taken back, I would be very scared...

Of course he has the right to do whatever he wants.

If you dont like it, don't watch it. If you don't want your kids to watch it, don't let them. Simple. People spend too much time worrying about what should and shouldn't be shown, and not enough time worrying about what they do and don't choose to watch. Freedom is about choice and expression. Everyone should have the freedom to do both....And if you don't like what I have to say, stop reading it, but dont take away my right to say it.

I am all for assisted suicide, it shouldn't have such a stigma as it ultimately ends the suffering of the terminally ill (and their families). That being said I am not sure how I feel about a documentary airing someones death on TV. Every life is sacred, from beginning to end, and to witness the end of someone's life has a profound effect on each of us in ways we aren't always aware of until after the fact.

I would advise everyone to watch with caution...

It's your life,your after-life,your consequences,your choice. Hopefully you have loved ones supporting you when such a difficult decision has to be made.
Television has desensitized us enough.
It would be absolutely disturbing and appalling to broadcast and glorify a suicide of any type on any channel. We need boundaries.

Only morbid people would watch that.

I will not be watching that...even if it gets on youtube, and I'm sure it will.

I personally dont think he has the right to end his own life even if he was in a lot of misery, and there is no need for this to be televised what so ever since many including myself find it very disturbing and saddening

I can imagine Sky may get bucket fulls of complaints after it gets broadcast. Thankfully I'm not watching the show as I got basic cable TV (with only a handful of Sky channels).

there is nothing wrong with this. no one can tell you that you dont have the right to end your own life. if you kill yourself, no one is going to throw you in jail.

I cannot believe it is actually debatable whether or not he has control over his own life. Why should someone else have control of my life?

He definitely has a right to choose to end his own life and while part of me feels that ones death is a private and personal matter...I also commend him and his family for sharing this intimate moment with the world in an effort to educate. We have a right to choose how we live and how we die.

To those that call this morbid, remember that television has portrayed far worse things than this...the mangled corpses being drug out after bombings or the dead corpses of Sadam Hussein's sons. Television parades death on a daily basis. At least in this instance it is a peaceful and willing death not a violent one.

I think this may enlighten individuals who only see the black and white of suicide, and not the mans incurable suffering. Perhaps documentaries such as this could be used in an educational manner.

I never heard of assisted suicides until a guest from switzerland stayed with us. At first i was shocked but when you think of more, people should have the choice. It comes down to the quality of life. If you are suffering you should be able to call it quits. We do it for animals all the time. As for it being on tv i don't think it's the worst thing on there.

Does he have the right to end his own life? Yes. Do I support people sharing their stories to gain support for the cause? Yes. Should this go on TV? I think that is going a bit too far.

I think anyone that doesn't want to be on the planet can take their own life, there are too many of us any way...

Medieval public executions come to life via television....albeit it is one taking their own life, but to me it rates about the same. :(

I agree, if it's for a serious documentary with some sort of factual or beneficial message, then it's ok to show the scene, as long as there are appropriate warnings beforehand.
And if the whole point is to broaden people's perspectives and inform then that's a positive use of the footage.

If this is being exploited for entertainment purposes, then this is wrong. But if this man was trying to spread his message or this is some sort of documentary, it has slightly more merit to its showing.

Personally, deaths are shown on TV all the time - in wars, from genocide, from disease, from a myriad other reasons. This isn't any different from them other than this man is deciding to, in spite of his ability and luxury of life and comfort and the fiscal ability to treat and end his own life, end his life because of personal reasons. It's somewhat selfish to those millions dying from afflictions they cannot avoid. It all depends on perspective with this issue, but mine isn't close enough to anyone in this position to be wholly sympathetic with the idea.

I agree, it really has no need to be on television. It is a personal decision and shouldn't be an idea spread to others. I'm not sure how I feel about the right to take you own life, but I'm sure that it shouldn't be a form of entertainment. What about miracle cases, where patients actually recover from life threatening diseases? What if they gave up before they recovered? What if you kill yourself too soon?

-A

Why is it going to be on television? I don't see any need to be on television, is it just me?

Does he have the right to end his own life? And is this appropriate for television?