So parliament
have voted it down, despite overwhelming support (82%in a recent poll) for a
change in the law on assisted dying.
We have a
situation where the law is a nonsense, as prosecutors have said they will not
prosecute Bona fide helpers who for example accompany people to Dignitas, but
this is still a criminal act in law. So at present the right to choose when to
die is limited to those with the resources and ability to travel to
Switzerland, which is the only country to allow assisted suicide for
non-residents. For a poignant documentary on one man's journey see How to die - Simon's Choice. This BBC2 programme is available on the iplayer.
But why do we
expect the law to change first? In countless situations in the past (legalising
suicide, abortion or homosexuality for example), the establishment has had to
be forced to recognise that society has moved on, and that morals based on
Religion have become irrelevant for the huge majority of people.
Anyone with an
Internet connection and a bit of initiative can find out about and get hold of
the necessary medication. This usually involves using horse sedatives which
quickly induce unconsciousness and then death. An alternative is using a bag
with gases such as Nitrogen or Helium (and no oxygen). Apparently people do not
feel they are being suffocated.
Gradually, more
and more people will make advance plans to avoid the fate of most people today,
which is to spend their final days in a noisy hospital ward, in pain and
distress. They will arrange with friends
and relatives how to administer the necessary medication, usually after saying
a last goodbye to their families, in a probably very poignant celebration of
their lives. They will put pressure on doctors and nurses to help them where it
is necessary.
That we should
have the right to die (subject to obvious safeguards) is now accepted by a
large majority of the population in all developed countries except those where
organised religion is strong. Sadly religious groups peddle false claims about
alleged abuse of the law and the ‘slippery slope’ that would lead to patients feeling pressured into prematurely ending
their lives. See Christian Medical Fellowship Twelve Reasons and Nine Myths about Euthanasia. These are not the reasons they
oppose assisted dying, but they know that they cannot persuade people by saying
what they actually believe, which is that we should be allowed to choose what to do with our lives in every respect, -except that of how we die -which must be decided only by God.
A patchwork of
countries and states across the world now specifically permits assisted dying.
Generally they are predominantly secular countries with a tradition of allowing
direct democracy. At present they include the US states Oregon, Washington,
California, and Vermont, as well as the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Belgium
where almost 2 percent of deaths are now ‘voluntary’.
Several countries, most notably Canada and Germany, face the same
situation as the UK in that those assisting suicide have been promised immunity
from prosecution by the courts, making changes to the law necessary. As in the
UK, it is a nettle that many legislators are very reluctant to grasp.
In France,
President Hollande has shown a marked difference from UK politicians who tend
to duck for cover when the issue is debated. Under his tenure, doctors have recently
been allowed to use ‘terminal sedation’. It is still too early to say how much this will alter practice in France.
The process by
which this last taboo will be banished will be expedited by brave people who
make no secret of what they are doing and challenge the authorities to take
action. It was a Dutch GP, Andries Postma and his GP wife Truus who, an
unbelievable 60 years ago, helped their patient to die, with an injection of
200mg of morphine. They made no secret of what they had done and the police
were informed. They were charged and found guilty, but given a suspended
sentence in 1973. This then led to the formation of the Dutch Voluntary
Euthanasia society, and gradually to the enlightened attitude that prevails in
the Netherlands today. Assisted suicide and euthanasia became gradually more
common and protocols were established for doctors to follow. This situation
went on for about 20 years until the ‘Termination of Life on Request and
Assisted Suicide Act’ was passed into law in 2002.
If we can be
brave enough to follow their example, we can make the recent spineless parliamentary
decision irrelevant, prevent a lot of pain and suffering, and give most people
a good death.
