Life can be full of pain and every sympathy should be extended to those who wish to die in dignity and peace. But legalisation leads to bureaucratisation, turning a matter of complex moral concern into one of legal box-ticking. Worse still, as we are seeing in the Benelux countries, it has the potential to become "normal". Not only would this encourage ruthless relatives to persuade relatives to choose death, but it may also add to the wider societal pressure for the aged or the ill to see themselves as a "burden" on everybody else. We are already being bombarded with messages that our population is growing unmanageably old, fostering a culture of death. That is a culture that does not instinctively cherish all lives equally but rather directs attention and resources away from the infirm and towards the young and healthy.  Continue reading

By Steve Passmore Steven Fletcher MP has introduced euthanasia bills with language that specifically focuses on people with disabilities because his bills are about him dying by euthanasia.Steven Passmore Continue reading

A Canadian man, Edward Hung, suffering from the ravages of advancing ALS, published a letter about his condition and experiences before dying in a Swiss death facility.  Former Chief Commissioner of the Continue reading

This article by Margaret Somerville was taken from the website :Euthanasie Stop Continue reading

  Belgium: accelerating down the slippery slope Continue reading

This post first appeared on Alex Schadenberg's Blog: That this House:(a) noting that:(i) the Belgium Parliament has recently authorised the direct killing of children through euthanasia;(ii) euthanasia or assisted suicide is now routinely performed in Belgium and the Netherlands on persons with no terminal illness but with psychiatric disorders such as anorexia or depression or with disabilities such as blindness; and(iii) Dr Philip Nitschke during a recent visit to Perth offered instruction in methods of suicide including how to illegally obtain pentobarbitone, a schedule 8 poison, and how to use nitrogen as an undetectable means of ending life;(b) condemns the practice of child euthanasia;(c) commends palliative care as an appropriate response to terminal and chronic illness;(d) affirms the value of every human life including those with mental illness or disability; and(e) endorses suicide prevention as the appropriate response to all those who for whatever reason may think life is not worth living. I was not involved in the decision-making process and the doctor who gave her the injection never contacted me. ...  Continue reading

This statement paper, developed by members of the Belgian Society of Intensive Care Medicine Council, is not about giving analgesics or sedative agents to combat pain or agitation, nor about the so-called double effect, wherein analgesics given to alleviate pain may have the adverse effect of shortening the dying process. The discussion here is about the administration of sedative agents with the direct intention of shortening the process of terminal palliative care in patients with no prospect of a meaningful recoveryâ�¦ Moreover, we explain our belief in the concept that shortening the dying process by administering sedatives beyond what is needed for patient comfort can be not only acceptable but in many cases desirable.Shortening the dying process with use of medication, such as analgesics/sedatives, may sometimes be appropriate, even in the absence of discomfort, and can actually improve the quality of dying; this approach can also help relatives accompany their loved one through the dying processâ��such a decision should be made with due consideration for the wishes of family members. Continue reading

  This article first appeared on : Continue reading

The  UK Telegraph and syndicated newspapers worldwide reported on the death of a retired UK teacher at the Swiss death facility, Dignitas recently, citing it as having 'reignited debate'. Continue reading

Having been diagnosed by a physician with an illness, a disease or a disability (including disability arising from traumatic injury) that causes intolerable physical or psychological suffering that cannot be alleviated by any medical treatment acceptable to that person, or; Being in a state of weakening capacity with no chance of improvement and being of sound mind and capable of fully understanding the information provided to him or her under other sections of the law. Continue reading