Time to legalise assisted dying?: No, thank you

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7520.842-a

BMJ 2005;331:842 (8 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7520.842-a

Letter

Time to legalise assisted dying?

No, thank you

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

EDITOR—Many moons ago I read George Orwell's 1984 andAnimal Farm as imaginative and perhaps intimidating works offiction. It seems that others are basing their recommendationson these works.¹

Should we place all family life (and death) in the hands ofbureaucrats? We have already increasingly shifted responsibilitytowards the government, which frequently uses cost as the onlycriterion on which to base a decision. Go the whole hog. Giveeach child a credit value. Deduct costs of education, dentalcare, medical treatment; add to its value any tax and nationalinsurance contributions, but when the cash balance reaches zerolife becomes forfeit.

When I look at decisions made on behalf of lesser mortals bythose deemed to be wise I shudder. No, thank you: leave me tomuddle along.

Thomas H Emmett, purchasing officer

Manchester M11 2XX h_emmett@hotmail.com

Competing interests: None declared.