( CNN ) -- It has long been the final destination for terminally ill patients who want to end their lives , offering what many consider to be a dignified way out of their suffering . But now , Switzerland is proposing legislation that would limit the practice of assisted suicide to people who are terminally ill -- or ban it altogether . If either proposal is adopted , people suffering from a chronic illness or who have a mental illness could no longer legally take advantage of assisted suicide . The Swiss Federal Council says it does n't necessarily want to end the country 's liberal laws , which allow someone to assist a suicide as long as they are not motivated by their own interests . But the council says organizations that provide assisted suicide in Switzerland -- such as the well known Dignitas clinic -- are increasingly testing the boundaries of the law , requiring the government to lay out specific guidelines and restrictions . Recent cases have drawn more attention to `` suicide tourism , '' in which people who ca n't legally seek assisted suicide in their home countries travel to Switzerland , where it is allowed . Dan James , a 23-year-old British rugby player , ended his life at a Swiss assisted suicide clinic last year . He had been paralyzed from the neck down in a rugby accident . His illness was chronic but not terminal . James ' case drew headlines when his parents , who accompanied their son to Switzerland , returned home to questions from police . In the end , the Jameses were not prosecuted . Multiple sclerosis sufferer Debbie Purdy won a high-profile battle in June to have Britain 's law on assisted suicide clarified . Purdy , who has said she wants the option of assisted suicide if her condition deteriorates , wanted to know at what point her husband might be prosecuted if he accompanied her to an assisted suicide clinic . Purdy 's case went all the way to the Law Lords , Britain 's highest court , who ordered the director of public prosecutions to issue a new policy on assisted suicide . He did so last month . Multiple sclerosis is chronic disease and some times can be terminal , leaving open the question whether Purdy might qualify if the new Swiss proposals are approved . At least 117 Britons have traveled abroad for an assisted suicide since 2002 , at an average of two a month , according to Dignity in Dying , which advocates giving terminally ill adults the option of assisted suicide . Switzerland 's Parliament is now considering two proposals from the federal council , the seven-member cabinet that heads the government . Consultations on the proposals will last until March . The first option would ensure that the person committing suicide is doing it of their own free will , and that the person assisting them is not driven by personal gain . It would also make assisted suicide an option only for those suffering from a terminal illness -- not for those suffering from a chronic or mental illness . The suicidal person would have to declare that he has given `` long and proper consideration '' to his decision , '' according to the council . That is intended to prevent spur-of-the-moment decisions that have not been thought through , the council says . Patients must also present two different doctor 's certificates from two different doctors , one stating that they have the legal capacity to decide their options for themselves , and the other stating that they suffer from an incurable physical illness that will result in death within a short period . For those with chronic or mental illnesses , the council said it supports `` comprehensive treatment , care and support , in the sense of palliative medicine '' rather than suicide . Those assisting with suicide face criminal charges if they do n't make sure of these steps , the council says . They must also discuss alternatives to suicide with the patient , and must not accept payment for their services that would exceed the costs and expenses of the suicide . `` This provision ensures that those assisting a suicide are not driven by personal gain , and that their prime motivation is to help the person who wishes to die , '' the council says . `` The Federal Council firmly believes that , by determining these duties of care , the negative aspects and abuse of organized assisted suicide can be prevented , and 'suicide tourism ' can be reduced . '' The council says it prefers stricter legislation for assisted suicide , but it is also giving Parliament a second option for a complete ban on organized assisted suicide . `` This option rests on the belief that individuals working in assisted suicide organizations are never actually motivated by purely altruistic reasons , and may develop a close relationship with the suicidal person , '' the council says . Dignity in Dying said it welcomes the first option , restricting assisted suicide to terminally ill , mentally competent people . `` Individual patient autonomy has to be balanced against the need to protect potentially vulnerable people , '' the group said in a statement Thursday . `` This proposal seeks to address this balance . ''
Switzerland has reputation for lax laws on assisted suicide . Comment: Recent cases have drawn attention to `` suicide tourism ''