France's right-to-die laws allow only so-called "passive" euthanasia for severely ill or injured patients, often by removing a person's life support systems. It does not let ill or elderly people take their own life, which some religious groups denounce as "state-sponsored suicide." The drug, owned by the Danish firm Lundbeck, has been outlawed for human medical use in France since 1996. Investigators found 125 direct recipients of the barbiturate, and on Tuesday some 300 officers carried out raids in 18 regions across France. Heitz said 130 bottles suspected of containing Nembutal were seized at 103 different sites, and analyses are planned.

Source: The Local October 16, 2019 07:41 UTC