How do you feel about physician-assisted suicide ?

It is legal where I live, with very specific guidelines; it has to be part of the person’s advance directive, but the person must be terminally ill and facing death within a relatively short amount of time.

Some people want to extend its reach to emotional or mental illnesses, like clinical depression. Occasionally I’ve seen people here express support for including such conditions.

I always want to ask them, "would you be okay if it were your child or a young person you care about who wanted a doctor to help them suicide due to depression ?"

Because I know that would break my heart and I would be trying to save my niece or my godchildren in that instance. 😭

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OldBrit · 61-69, M

It's being hotly debated in the UK.

A private members Bill (Introduced to the house by an individual mp) had a whole day of debate recently. This is unusual to start and no party is enforcing a whip so finally democracy at work for a change.

The "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill," if passed, would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales with six months or less to live to seek assistance from a doctor to end their lives, provided certain conditions are met. The bill proposes strict safeguards, including two independent doctor assessments and a judicial review, to ensure the person's wishes are clear, informed, and free from coercion. If the bill is passed, the individual would take the medication themselves, but it would be prepared by a doctor,

However there is discussion to remove the judge from this now. It's a long way from law yet.

Captain · 61-69, M

@OldBrit Deliberate stalling tactics for a subject that really needs to be faced up to head on.