BMJ 2002;324:846 ( 6 April )

Letters

Legalising active euthanasia and physician assisted suicide

    Assisted suicide is not always as easy as suggested
    People's autonomy is not absolute
    Seeking this presumed moral good is immoral
    Strong evidence base must be adduced for euthanasia
    Patients need medical help to live with dignity until they die naturally
    Denying people voluntary euthanasia causes unnecessary suffering
    Summary of responses

Assisted suicide is not always as easy as suggested

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR---Doyal and Doyal argue that there is no difference between assisted suicide, as requested by Diane Pretty, and the withdrawal of life sustaining treatment.1 However, there are many complex issues to be considered.

Firstly, how patients come to make an informed autonomous decision must be considered. Many patients with motor neurone disease fear a distressing death, but several studies have shown that this is rare, particularly with good palliative care.2 Moreover, assisted suicide is not always as easy and peaceful as is often suggested: a Dutch study reported complications, such as nausea and vomiting, in 7% of cases, and problems of completion, with longer times to death than expected, in 15%; doctors intervened and performed euthanasia for 18%.3 A decision for assisted suicide can be made clearly and autonomously only if such issues have been fully discussed.

Secondly, the reasons why people ask that their lives should be . . . [Full text of this article]
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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Davies, S. (2003). Obituary for David Horrobin: Summary of rapid responses. BMJ 326: 1089-1089 [Full text]  
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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Legal assisted suicide by non-doctors
CELIO LEVYMAN
bmj.com, 6 Apr 2002 [Full text]
Euthanasia?
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bmj.com, 18 Apr 2002 [Full text]
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