Some progress, finally.

Edit: for the benefit of the tinfoil hat wearers, assisted dying is not the same as euthanasia.

  • FourPacketsOfPeanuts@lemmy.world
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    18 hours ago

    Wow, unexpected. Finally some boldness to be humane about end-of-life situations.

    I just hope it comes with sensible checks and balances.

    • Phoenixz
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      9 hours ago

      It usually does. The entire idea is to avoid suffering, not to add to it

    • Womble@lemmy.world
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      16 hours ago

      The proposed law is only available to people with a terminal illness judged to have 6 months or less to live, needs to be signed off on by two doctors and a judge, and the patient needs to take the drugs themselves. If anything it’s potentially too restrictive, but a step in the right direction.

        • steeznson@lemmy.world
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          15 hours ago

          Canada has gone too far in terms of who is eligible for assisted suicide in many people’s opinions. For example people who are mentally ill are able to request assisted suicide from the state.

          • GetOffMyLan@programming.dev
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            9 hours ago

            I mean mental illness can cause plenty of suffering so I don’t see why it should be excluded. As long as that person can give fully informed consent the same as other conditions.

          • Zip2@feddit.ukOP
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            13 hours ago

            There was a case like that somewhere in Europe earlier this year. I think it was in the Netherlands, but it was a young woman who had numerous mental health issues that were causing her real suffering and she would probably have done the deed herself at some point.

            It was only about the second time it had been approved, and required a lot of time and numerous doctors to sign off on their being nothing they could do to help her professionally.

            It made me feel quite uncomfortable, but then thinking about it logically she met all of the criteria, the only real question was about confirming she knew what she was doing.

          • FourPacketsOfPeanuts@lemmy.world
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            12 hours ago

            Well that seems like a bad idea

            Person,: “I’m suffering paranoid delusions that the state is out to get me and want to end my life!”

            The state: “well, we’ll be happy to help…”

            • steeznson@lemmy.world
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              14 hours ago

              Yeah it’s the so-called slippery slope argument people are making that countries which have legalised assisted dying so far have tended towards making increasingly more people eligible over time.

              Conflicted on that tbh. Slippery slope is one of the classic logical fallacies but that doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t happen.

      • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world
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        3 hours ago

        Except this is nothing like the procedure Canada has in place.

        People seeking this out need to be terminally ill with less than 6 months to live, it needs to be approved by two doctors and a judge, I believe it has to be brought up by the patient, etc.

        • Flax@feddit.uk
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          17 hours ago

          It will be eventually, if we’re not careful. The capitalists are gradually trying to normalise it.

          • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world
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            12 hours ago

            So the slippery slope fallacy, got it.

            “If we allow terminally ill the choice to die painlessly and with dignity, we’re actually welcoming doctors telling anybody with any ailment to kill themselves” is a wild take.

            You can apply the same fallacy to practically any law. It’s absurd.

            “They’ve introduced an age of consent?? This is a slippery slope! Soon the government will prevent all reproduction!1”

          • AlpacaChariot@lemmy.world
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            14 hours ago

            It’s not possible for that to happen in the UK without a further bill in Parliament. I believe in Canada the law has changed as a result of decisions by the courts.