The number of assisted deaths continues to increase in Britain. It is estimated that 20,000 people die a year according to one of Britain’s leading authorities on euthanasia . This is apparently the first statement of its kind from a credible expert . According toDr. Hazel Biggs, approximately 18,000 people a year are helped to die by a doctor who is treating them for a terminal illness.
Currently, in Britain, the maximum sentence for helping someone commit suicide is 14 years. Dr. Biggs is trying to have a new law created that allows medical staff to help conscious , terminally ill patients end their lives. She claims that doctors in many countries already help patients to die, even though it is not legal or regulated .
Dr. Biggs wants a law created in the UK so that patients can give voluntary consent to die and also, so that the practice will be more closely controlled. As the population ages, more doctors are secretly making private decisions to aid the early death of patients by increasing drug doses. Sometimes the patient does not give their consent and the doctor secretly makes the decision. So, a law is needed to decrease the risk of abuse .
Although many people support the new law, the ProLife party and other religious groups are against it. The Church of England and Roman Catholic bishops said, “It is deeply misguided to propose a law by which it would be legal for terminally ill people to be killed or assisted in suicide by those caring for them, even if there are safeguards to ensure that only the terminally ill would qualify.”
Pre-Reading Warm Up Questions :
- Can you think of a situation where a person would want an assisted suicide?
- Have you heard of any cases of euthanasia in your state/country/province?
- Do you approve of assisted suicide?
- Does your country have any laws about assisted suicide?
- Would you want to be “helped to die” if you were terminally ill?