Is your government morally deprived

AI Overview
Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) in South Australia is available through the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2021 and became legal on January 31, 2023. It allows eligible South Australians to voluntarily choose and access a medication to end their life when experiencing advanced, incurable suffering. Key elements include stringent eligibility criteria, multiple requests for VAD, a written declaration, and strict safeguards to ensure the decision is voluntary and free from coercion.

In its first year of operation in SA, between 31 January 2023 and 30 January 2024, 195 people were issued with a VAD permit by the Department for Health and Wellbeing. Of those, 140 people died including 110 from administration of the VAD substance.

Of those who have applied for VAD in SA since its introduction:

75% were aged 65 years and over
53% were male and 47% were female
77% were receiving palliative care
68% were from metropolitan Adelaide and 32% were from regional SA
There has been a positive uptake in the number of medical practitioners undertaking the mandatory training, with 121 doctors registered to undertake mandatory practitioner training and 73 having completed the training, making them eligible to support access to VAD in SA.

Trained medical practitioners can be found across both metropolitan and regional areas, with 73 per cent in metro Adelaide and 27 per cent in regional South Australia.