(Reuters Health) – Legalized euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are mainly used by patients with cancer, but remain rare, according to a new analysis of such programs.
In the last year alone, California has legalized physician-assisted suicide, Canada legalized both physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, and Colombia performed its first legal euthanasia, said John Urwin, a study author from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “In order to inform current debates, it’s imperative to understand current laws and practices.”
Definitions of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide vary between countries, Urwin and his colleagues write in JAMA.
Generally, they explain, euthanasia is when a doctor takes action to end a patient’s life. When patients take physician-prescribed pills to end their lives, it’s known as physician-assisted suicide.
The researchers assessed the legal status of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide by reviewing polling data and published surveys of the public and physicians, official state and country databases, interview studies with physicians and death certificate studies for the period 1947 to 2016.
They found no evidence for widespread abuse of these practices, according to their report.
In addition to Canada and Colombia, the practices are at least partially legal in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Physician-assisted suicide is also legal in the U.S. states of Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont.
Overall, support for physician-assisted suicide Continue Reading »
Tags: aid in dying, assisted death, Assisted Suicide, Death With Dignity, Derek Humphry, Dignitas, Final Exit, hemlock society, Self-Deliverance, Self-directed death, terminal illness
