The article could have used some references to quality data to back up claims about the changes described.

There are clearly some risks where vested interests are involved be it relatives wanting an early demise or commercial operators willing to over service.

Some safeguards can be put in place but they can't cover every situation without making the process unworkable.

It's also clear that current laws leave people to suffer needlessly or find way's to end their lives that are not always successful and may do more harm or if successful leave others to deal with the aftermath. A horrific cruelty.

It's a difficult issue that's not helped by generalisations and over simplifications on either side.

I'd like to be in a position to know that if I was ever in a state where my quality of life had deteriated so much that I'd prefer it ended that there were effective means to do so that were available to me regardless of my physical capacity and which didn't leave a mess for someone else discover or clean up.

I'd be careful not to suggest that someone not hit me over the head until I got to that point.

R0bert

Thank you, Yabby, for the reference. As a long standing proponent of assisted suicide, or voluntary euthanasia, I find it encouraging to know that there are places in our world where dignity extends to dieing, including by one's own hand if and when that is desired.
Again I repeat what I have written before: In this debate, it is not those wishing to go who are attempting to tell others what they may or may not do. If you do not wish to avail yourself of this service, then don't. But don't try to justify your choice be denying to others what you don't want, but which they very well may.
This is a right whose time is not far off. And when it comes, probably it will also be seen that the choice need not be restricted to a terminal illness as attested to by X number of doctors.
It's simple, really. If someone - anyone - wants to go and is of sound mind, let them go.

halduell: It's simple, really. If someone - anyone - wants to go and is of sound mind, let them go.

You are right. There are a few people that are a few sheep short in the top paddock & it's a drain on the economy to look after these people all the time. If they want to go, they should have a way of doing it so it works first time. It wastes valuble resources to keep saving them from themselves. Resources that would be better spent on people who want to live.

Halduell,

I guess the first step would be to legalise suicide, and see what the complications might be that arise from that initiative - for example, how to differentiate between genuine suicide and manslaughter or murder, by some attestation that the person was doing this of their own free will, no coercion; whether or not a second person was involved, or present and potentially involved; and what sort of counselling (professional and secular, not religious) might be mandated to talk people through the taking of their one and only lives, before they can get the necessary prescriptions. As an atheist, I would not want to give my life away too cheaply, or on a whim: after all, there's nothing but worms afterwards. But I guess I wouldn't know about them by then.

At another level: if a second person was involved, or present, or within cooee - especially if that person was to benefit in some way from the death - then clearly there are complications before a person's death can be ruled to be from suicide.

At a 'higher' level still: if a person was so incapacitated that they could not carry out their own death in any way, then there is another range of complications, involving medical professionals and 'helpers'. Of course, the person would have to be in complete possession of their mental faculties even in this case. It's not quite so simple as you may think :)

Cheers,

Joe

Joe
In Australia isn't suicide legal? Or is it merely not illegal? This is a real question, and if you know the answer, I would appreciate seeing it.
Your other points are valid and can all be dealt with by properly constructing the enabling legislation.
Nothing is ever 'so simple' until it's done. And then it's so often seen to be so simple and too easy and what was all the fuss about anyway.
OF COURSE we have to protect the vulnerable from the rapacious.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/Specials/International_year_of_chemistry/Health_&_Research/Assisted_suicide_activist_speaks_out_on_debate.html?cid=7107364

Fester, according to this article, Exit Switzerland, which only
provides services to Swiss citizens, has 70'000 members who each
pay 30$ a year. Jerome Nobel describes further as to how their
organisation works. Hardly sounds like a financial rip off to me.

He makes the clear distinction between euthanasia and assisted
suicide.