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Assisted suicides on the up in Switzerland: report

Xinhua, October 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

A total of 742 assisted suicides were recorded in Switzerland in 2014, up 26 percent from the previous year, the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reported Tuesday.

Representing 2.5 times the number of euthanasia cases which were documented in 2009, the agency indicated that 94 percent of those who decided to voluntarily end their lives in 2014 were aged over 55, "the vast majority of whom were suffering from a serious, fatal illness."

According to figures, 42 percent of those who opted for assisted suicide two years ago had cancer.

A further 14 percent were suffering from neuro-degenerative illnesses, 11 percent from cardiovascular diseases and 10 percent from conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system.

While the number of assisted suicides has been increasing, data shows that the number of suicides has stabilized in recent years, with 1,029 suicides reported in 2014, down from 1,070 cases in 2013.

"The probability of committing suicide has decreased by almost half between 1991 and 2010, passing from 39 to 20 for every 100,000 males and 12 to 7 for every 100,000 females," FSO explained. Endit