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Friday July 30,2010

Frequently asked questions about right-to-die

by ERGO Euthenasia

Q. When and where did the modern voluntary euthanasia movement start?

A. In l935 in Britain, in l938 in the USA, and in l980 in Canada. The British and America groups were very small and insignificant for the next two decades.

Q. When did the movement start to become bigger and more vocal?

A. After the hugely publicized Karen Ann Quinlan "right to die" case in New Jersey in l976 revealed to the public the extent of modern medical technology to extend life indefinitely in a persistent vegetative state. In l980, Derek Humphry founded the Hemlock Society to campaign for law reform on assisted dying.

Q. How many people support voluntary euthanasia for the terminally ill?

A. Opinion polls show average support of 70 percent in the USA, 74 percent in Canada, and 80 percent in Britain. When actually voting in official ballot measures, the support has been 46 percent in Washington State (l991), 46 percent in California (l992), 51 percent in Oregon (l994), and 60 percent in Oregon (l997).

Q. How many physicians support assisted dying?

A. Numerous opinion polls indicate that half the medical profession would like to see it made law. It also appears that about 15 percent of physicians already practice it on justifiable occasions. The leadership of the professional medical group, the American Medical Association, remains adamantly opposed.

Q. What do the terms used in this FAQ mean?

A. "Voluntary Euthanasia" (VE) means death by lethal injection; "Physician-Assisted Suicide" (PAS) means death by oral ingestion of prescribed lethal drugs. (It is PAS only which Oregon has legalized.)

Q. Where does the main opposition to voluntary euthanasia come from?

A. The hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons). Also churches on the religious right.

Q. Which churches officially support the principle of assisted dying for the terminally ill?

A. The United Church of Christ (Congregational), the Unitarian Church, and the Methodist Church on the West coast of America. It appears that the congregations of most churches are divided on the issue.

Q. How many copies have been sold of Derek Humphry's l991 book, ?FINAL EXIT: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying??

A. About 750,000 in the USA and Canada and approximately 250,000 in other major world languages. It consistently sells roughly 1,000 copies a month in North America There was a revised, 2nd edition published by Dell paperbacks, New York, in l997.

Q. Is the book banned in any country?

A. Final Exit is banned in France. Attempts to ban the book in Australia and New Zealand failed. In Britain, publishers fearing the law do not publish it, but the imported book is freely sold through the book trade there.