Coroner calls on Google and Amazon to act after British woman’s suicide::Chloe Macdermott researched suicide methods on a forum and bought lethal substance online from US
Coroner calls on Google and Amazon to act after British woman’s suicide::Chloe Macdermott researched suicide methods on a forum and bought lethal substance online from US
Helping people, yes
Giving people options, yes
Showing people a better way, yes
Removing options, gatekeeping
Restricting information, gatekeeping
There’s some nuance here too
Say barriers on bridges and high areas that the public can access. It’s removing an option yes, but it might be enough friction to stop the person till they can receive the help they need
I concede the benefit of barriers to prevent accidents, or to discourage people from jumping from this point right here. Delaying the impulse. We don’t deny people the knowledge of gravity, and we don’t legistate the removal of high places. If someone really wants to jump they have options, hiking to a cliff etc.
Let’s say there is a magic pill, that is painless, no side effects, etc. let’s say we made this available for people’s pets in pain, but not for humans in pain. In this fictional universe the gatekeeping of “enough pain” to justify a dignified and self selected exit is a net evil. As long as a human has agency they should have a choice without officials gatekeeping their knowledge. (I.e. we shouldn’t nanny adults)
I don’t think the main point of the barriers is preventing suicide specifically, but safety in general. Preventing suicide is more of a bonus.