French Favour Doctor-Assisted Suicide
By None, Angus Reid Global Scan, March 15, 2006
Polls & Research
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in France believe persons should be allowed to die under specific circumstances, according to a poll by TNS-Sofres for ADMD. 86 per cent of respondents favour amending existing laws to allow patients in an advanced or final stage of an incurable disease to obtain medical assistance to die.
In the case of a person who is placed in a situation of dependence which he or she considers incompatible with his or her dignity, 77 per cent of respondents support doctor-assisted euthanasia.
In March 2000, France's National Ethics Committee said euthanasia may be permitted "if there is no other solution, if palliative care and pain-killers are ineffective, if all treatment or therapy has failed, (and) if there is unanimous agreement that the situation has become intolerable." In January 2003, French nurse Christine Malevre was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the murder of six patients at the Francois-Quesnay hospital. Malevre claims to have acted out of compassion.
In November 2004, France's National Assembly endorsed legislation which legalized "passive euthanasia." This concept allows doctors to withdraw life-sustaining medication from patients, but not to, for instance, administer poisons.
The Netherlands, Belgium and Australia allow for some form of euthanasia. In the United States, the state of Oregon legalized assisted suicide in 1994.
Polling Data
The law currently makes it possible for a sick person to refuse any treatment, including food and hydration, and to be consequently allowed to die. On the other hand, it does not allow a sick person to be helped to die. For each of the following cases, tell me if you favour or oppose amending existing laws in order to make it possible for a patient to obtain medical assistance to die.
If the person is an advanced or final stage of an incurable disease:
Favor 86%
Oppose 10%
Unsure 4%
If the person is placed in a situation of dependence which he or she considers incompatible with his or her dignity:
Favor 77%
Oppose 18%
Unsure 5%
Source: TNS-Sofres / ADMD (Association pour le Droit de mourir dans la dignité).
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,000 French adults, conducted on Mar. 8 and Mar. 9, 2006. No margin of error was provided.
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