A recent report on the debate concerning assisted dying published by a think-tank has been characterised as ‘unhelpful scaremongering’ by the British Humanist Association (BHA) today.
In Assisted Suicide: How the chattering classes have got it wrong, authored by Cristina Odone for the Centre for Policy Studies, it is argued that ‘once introduced on compassionate grounds, assisted suicide will lead to death on request or euthanasia without consent’.
Pepper Harow, BHA Campaigns Officer commented, ‘In consistently using phrases such as “death squad” and “death regulator” and discussing “a society cleansed of the feeble, the infirm, the imperfect,” Cristina Odone has not made a helpful contribution to the discussion on this complex matter, but used intentionally overly emotive language that limit, rather than encourage, open debate.
‘The BHA is of the view that permitting consensual assisted dying in cases of terminal illness within a system of strict legal safeguards is ethically preferable to the current situation, where cases of assisted suicide occur irrespective of their legality, and are only identified and assessed retrospectively.
‘There is, of course, a broad range of opinion on the sensitive topic of legalising assisted suicide, however it is imperative that any report presented on the debate facilitates discussion and is based on sound evidence.’
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Read more about the BHA’s work on assisted dying
For comment or information, contact Pepper Harow, Campaigns Officer, on 0207 462 4992.
The British Humanist Association is the national charity representing and supporting the interests of ethically concerned, non-religious people in the UK. It is the largest organisation in the UK campaigning for an end to religious privilege and to discrimination based on religion or belief, and for a secular state.