Iconic French actor wants to end his life by euthanasia

French film star Alain Delon reportedly wishes to end his life by euthanasia, saying he has become old and miserable and no longer wishes to suffer.

“Getting old sucks! And we can’t do anything about it. We lose face and vision, get back on our feet and feel like a f*****g ankle hurts. The torment is terrible,” said the actor, according to French publication Le Point. The 86-year-old has reportedly asked his son Anthony to assist him in ending his life. 

The actor has said in previous interviews he would prefer to leave the world on his own terms, and that he has long held the view that voluntary euthanasia is the most logical and natural way to end his life. “As we get older, we have the right to go to hell quietly from life, without hospitals or injections,” he told Le Point.

Delon currently resides in Switzerland where, although active euthanasia is not legally permitted, supplying the means for committing suicide, also known as engaging in assisted-suicide, is allowed by law as long as the action is performed at the expressed request of the individual concerned. 

Switzerland has become one of the primary destinations in Europe for those wishing to end their life. Some have criticized its government’s stance as encouraging “suicide tourism,” with more than 1,300 people having been euthanized in the country in 2020 alone – the last year for which there are typical figures due to the Covid pandemic.

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First-ever ‘suicide pod’ approved, promises no choking feeling

Late last year, one of Switzerland’s primary assisted-suicide organazations, Sarco, launched a 3D-printed suicide capsule to provide its clients with a swift and peaceful death without the use of drugs or the requirement of a doctor to administer them. Its website describes the process – which involves a rapid decrease in the oxygen level while maintaining a low CO2 level – as providing the conditions for “a peaceful, even euphoric death.” 

Its creator, Dr. Philip Nitschke, has stated that he will make blueprints for the capsule available for free, allowing anyone to download and print out the design. He claims he wishes to “de-medicalise the dying process,” “remove any kind of psychiatric review,” and allow individuals to control the method of their passing themselves.