A Universally Available Death Pill Would Be Better

A Medical Professional Warns Against Prothanasia

We argued recently that prothanasia, which creates out of thin air a "human right to die" cannot be restricted to terminally ill elderly people.  A human right is a human right.  If you are a human being, you qualify.  

Therefore it comes as no surprise that a medical specialist, Dr Stephen Child has cut straight to the chase.  He wants the right to die to be removed from the purview of doctors, and left in the hands of the person who is wanting to die (for whatever reason).  He suggests the easiest and simplest way would be to make a "death drug" available in pharmacies nation-wide, and make it available for any person eighteen or over.  It should be as readily available as non-prescription medication.  (For that matter, it would also, inevitably be available in supermarkets and convenience stores such as corner dairies--as many non-prescription medications eventually come to be.)

Child says for those who want to end their lives with dignity, there are simpler, more logical solutions that could be considered.  "Let's make the drug available in pharmacies. And if you're aged over 18 and you sign a form of consent, then people should be able to make that choice and we leave this issue at that," he says.

"But of course that's really difficult to do because some people might go and get the medication because they're depressed."  [NZ Herald]

Child was really wanting to make the case against involving medical professionals in the whole business of prothanasia.

Child says it's important to look at how various countries have adopted euthanasia laws over the past 14 years.  "Interestingly enough, in the Netherlands … Only a third of people who request euthanasia or assisted suicide have their request granted. Think about that, that means for ... 10 people who go and say 'I would like to end my life', the doctor has to look them in the eye and say to two thirds of them 'no, your decision is irrational, I'm not going to support your decision'.

"I don't want to be the person in the profession, I don't want the doctors to be in the profession, having to look you in the eye and decide whether your decision to end your life is a rational one or an irrational one."

But it's worse than that.

In the United States, he says 48 per cent of people in Oregon list "burden to others" as their primary reason for requesting euthanasia.  "Does that mean they're making an independent decision for a rational suicide or is there a degree of coercion in their decision-making?"

"It's a minefield of issues rather than just a case of a right to end my life with dignity."
He adds that it's difficult for doctors to 100 per cent offer a diagnosis, let alone give an accurate six-month prognosis.  "We're not very good at predicting less than six months. In Oregon, someone went three and a half years after two doctors declared them having six months to live."