THERE are too many ‘complicating factors’ for Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide (AD/AS) to be implemented safely, finds a new poll of the British public.
The poll’s findings show that behind the headline figures of support for AD/AS, the public expressed ambivalence about its consequences and signalled serious doubts.
The poll was commissioned by the think tank Living and Dying Well (LDW), which aims to provide research and analysis of the evidence surrounding the assisted dying debate. It also found:
- Seven in 10 (70 per cent) said that assistance in dying in countries like Canada and the Netherlands, where young people with no terminal illness are helped to die, has gone too far. This rose to more than eight in 10 (84 per cent) when those who answered ‘don’t know’ were discounted.
- Young people reject AD/AS more than do any other age group. Fewer than half (44 per cent) of 18–24-year-olds supported legalising AD/AS.
- A majority (56 per cent) voiced fears that legalising AD/AS would lead to a culture where suicide becomes more normalised than it is today. This rose to 67 per cent when those who answered “don’t know” were omitted.
- Similarly, 43 per cent fear that introducing AD/AS when the NHS and Social Care budget is under such pressure would inevitably place an incentive on health professionals to encourage some people to end their lives early.
- Four in ten people (41 per cent) are concerned that introducing AD/AS when the NHS is under such strain would “inevitably” risk funding for palliative care services.
The poll shows that support for AD/AS amongst the public changes when presented with evidence from where it is legal. For instance, 40 per cent of those who had supported legalisation reconsidered, when informed that young people suffering from mental illness could access AD/AS in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Baroness Tani Grey-Thompson, chair of Living and Dying Well said: “This nationally representative poll conducted under British Polling Council guidelines gives a very different snapshot of ordinary peoples’ attitudes towards assisted suicide than the glossy picture presented by pro-AS organisations. It shows that, at best, people are ambivalent about the prospect. And the survey shows that the more people know about the issue, the more likely they are to reject this legislation.”
* Source: Living and Dying Well