Mexico Experiences A New Type of Tourism, Euthanasia Tourism

At pet shops across Mexico, there is a drug known as liquid pentobarbital that is used by pets to euthanize pets. When given to humans, the drug can give them a painless death in under one hour. The pet shops across Mexico have such drugs. As a result, elderly tourists from across the globe seeking to terminate their own lives are now flying out to Mexico.

Those that advocate the right-to-die cause prefer the use of liquid pentobarbital than any other euthanasia drug. This is mainly used to put cats and dogs to sleep. According to activists, elderly tourists have come all the way to Mexico to acquire such drugs.

Tourists have initial difficultly due to a lack of Spanish. To compensate, such tourists use a combination of photos and sketched maps. The photos have the locations of the pet shops and the maps give tourists the necessary directions. Also, these stores are located near the US border.

Bottles can be purchased for at least $35.

Healthy elderly tourists such as 65 year old Bron Norman of Australia are flocking to Mexico to get the drug.

“We have a moral right to a peaceful death. I don’t want to die with a total loss of dignity, incontinent, barely able to see and stand up, suffering as my mother did,” Norman said.

Because of this, it is nicknamed the “Mexico option.” The drug is easily to acquire because of the relaxed regulation. In short, the circulation of this drug is very relaxed in Mexico.

For cheap medicine, you can fly to Canada. For the euthanasia drug, you can fly to Mexico.

Exit International, one of the groups that advocate euthanasia has assisted many across the world to get the euthanasia drug from Mexico. Such campaigners dub this as an “insurance policy.”

Many in Australia have taken the “Mexico option,” due to Australia’s government outlawing euthanasia since 1997. Only a few parts of the world legalize euthanasia.

As expected, the “Mexico option” has drawn fire from anti-euthanasia and religious groups.

Due to laws across the world that ban euthanasia, Mexico can expect a boom of euthanasia tourism.