Empirical Analysis of Suicide Tourism

Abstract

This chapter provides an empirical analysis of suicide tourism. It includes extracts of interviews with key stakeholders in the field of assisted suicide from around Europe. In many countries, there have been legal and public proceedings discussing end-of-life issues (notably assisted suicide), accompanied by varied media coverage of stories of suicide tourism. In some cases, for example Canada, suicide tourism was a social phenomenon that the legislator wanted to prevent while legalizing assisted suicide. In others, especially the UK and Germany, suicide tourism was referred to by opponents or supporters of proposed laws to legalize or criminalize assisted suicide. This chapter reflects on the fact that, despite these proceedings and the many arguments raised by campaigners to change existing prohibitions against assisted suicide in countries of origin, the law in these countries has not changed, and in some cases its position on assisted suicide has become more prohibitive.