The number of Swiss residents who died by assisted suicide rose sevenfold between 1998 and 2009, statistics published for the first time showed on Tuesday. Almost 300 Swiss resident died this way in 2009, compared to just 43 in 1998, the Federal Statistics Office said. In 90 percent of cases, those who resorted to assisted suicide were over 55, and more women were likely to receive help ending their lives than men.
Assisted suicide has been legal in Switzerland since 1941, if performed by a non-physician who has no direct interest in the death. Euthanasia, or "mercy killing", is legal only in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the US state of Oregon. Swiss rules are among the world's most liberal, but the government has looked to tighten the law to ensure it is only used as a last resort for the terminally ill. Statistics from Dignitas show the clinic based near Zurich helped a total of 1,298 people commit suicide between 1998 and 2011.