Should Euthanasia Now Be Made Legal In The Uk?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3098418/A-death-dividing-Britain-s-emotive-issue-father-three-girls-right-life-Swiss-clinic-three-writers-different-views.html

We have seen the law changed regarding Gay marriages, why hasn't this more important issue not been addressed?

[dannyk13]

Possibly provided that it is very closely regulated

[Old_Geezer]

No need to see an article to restate my opinion that yes, it should.
That said with appropriate safeguards in place and all help to make this life worthwhile first.

[Retrochic]

Yes it should be. Although I can't imagine why this particular man did not just end his own life with a packet of sleeping pills and bottle of vodka -he was still pretty mobile I think. Maybe he was wanting to make a stand. Having said that my MIL took three years to die in a private Care Home which cost over £90k out of the Inheritance Pot -I'm sure my grasping SIL would have had her popped off if she could have done after year one.

[andy-hughes]

I don't see a link between gay marriage and euthanasia personally, but I do think that the law needs to be changed.

[wolf63]

Yes it should be legalized.

If I was to make either of my cats suffer pain or distress I can be prosecuted but it is considered okay to let humans suffer.

[Buenchico]

Assisted suicide in general (irrespective of whether illness or infirmity is present) should always be legal.

[woofgang]

"As Rob George, a professor of palliative care, said on the same programme," the introduction of assisted suicide, euthanasia, call it what you will, sends out to the terminally ill and the disabled the message that they are surplus to requirements.""

I am not sure where he gets this idea from but I do not agree with it. I have reason to know that its also not true that all pain is controllable.

The process of addressing this issue is going to be a long and complex one and the sooner its begun the better.

[ToraToraTora]

No, the recent cases are no doubt good examples of those that should be allowed but I fear for the masses. I wonder when a right to die will become and obligation. I fear for unscrupulous relatives hastening granny off for the legacy. No I do trust this. We already have euthanasia anyway, it's just that every now and then someone creates a song and dance about not having their relatives prosecuted yada yada. The hospitals Euthanise every day with no fuss anyway. If we allow this, in no time at all we'll have death factories with queues of people dragging granny up for bumping of, probably they'll have on site will writing too so we can be sure their assetts go to the right place. Wrong on so many levels.

[fbg40]

Just to say I agree with everything that has been said by other ABers.
FBG40

[sp1814]

andy_hughes

I can totally see why AOG mentioned the Marriage Equality Act. He has a quota to upkeep. Despite the fact that this act was passed over a year and has bog all to do with euthanasia, AOG has the right to link the two together for no apparent reason whatsoever.

But back to the question...with very strict oversight , which would have to include referrals to more than one health official, I think there IS an argument for euthanasia.

But I doubt it will ever happen.

[ToraToraTora]

Retrochic: "Having said that my MIL took three years to die in a private Care Home which cost over £90k out of the Inheritance Pot -I'm sure my grasping SIL would have had her popped off if she could have done after year one. " - Exactly, how many homes are there with OAPs spending a fortune of the grand childrens inheritance on care, now if they would just pop off early, leeching relatives can spend the money on themselves. It's a non starter people.

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

No it is all a matter of priorities.

One gets pushed through post haste, whereas the other more important issue gets put on the back burner.

Sorry if I happened to touch a personal raw nerve.

[hc4361]

I'm not sure I could administer the fatal dose, it must be a huge burden.

[bednobs]

the issue has been addressed in many high profile ways with some pretty high profile cases fairly recently.
Unfortunately pills and vodka are not guarunteed to work, and could have left him in a worse position

[bednobs]

having worked in palliative care for most of my working life, my opinion changes on whether it should be made legal or not. In reality, it probably wouldn't change the amount of people dying - people are dying at the end of needles/pills every day, both from health professionals and family memebers. Having administered drugs that have probably precipitated death to many patients before, it's not all that hard emotionally. However if it was my husband or mum asking - i just don't know

[Cloverjo]

I typed a similar reply to bednobs, but it seems to have got lost.
You could easily fall asleep or throw up before getting all the vodka and pills down and wake up in a terrible state.
If a person has had enough they should be able to go peacefully. We couldnt allow people up to queue up to bump their elderly relatives off.

[anotheoldgit]

ToraToraTora

Regarding your leeching relatives example, it wouldn't be up to the relatives, it would be as in this case the suffering individual, who in a sound mind gives his or her permission to put an end to their suffering.

What can possibly be wrong with that?

[hc4361]

Euthanasia for those who are in pain at the end of their life is one thing; for those well enough to travel to Dignitas because of what might be is another thing entirely.

And what would be the position of those crippled by long term depression or schizophrenia? Prisoners serving life sentences who are in despair and want to end it all?

[Ellipsis]

> Should Euthanasia Now Be Made Legal In The UK?

Yes. If we can have an abortion law, which gives the right to end/prevent the life of another at the start of its life, then surely we can have a euthanasia law, which gives a right to end the life of yourself at the end of your life as you determine it to be - both laws with appropriate safeguards.