How interesting that this article appears on OLO. Yesterday, 10th May, a major enquiry into Death through euthanasia, palliative care and compliance/accuracy with reporting was released in the Netherlands.

Many of you probably know that voluntary euthanasia was made legal in the Netherlands in 2002.

Here are some stats: use of palliative care increased, deep palliative sedation at the end also increased from 8,500 patients 4 years ago to 9,700 patients last year and the number of people dying through euthanasia dropped from 3,500 patients in a previous year to 2,300 last year.

Suicide by self occurred 300 times 4 years ago, this dropped to 100 cases last year. These are not general suicide numbers, but as an end of life decision in case of incurable life threatening illness.

These are interesting statistics for Australians to look at. The fear that legislation would mean a slide down a slippery slope are unfounded. What it shows is that when people are actively involved in their own end of life decisions it returns dignity and control to autonomous adults.

Of all the requests for euthanasia only a very small percentage of patients in the end actually need to carry through with it. Mostly it is enough to know that this avenue exists and that this can be openly discussed.

Hope it happens for you when you need it.

I do wonder why religions oppose this when they promise "paradise" after we die. Why do they then want to deprive us of entry to this marvellous place? Work that out someone.

As to euthanasia (should be called unwellanasia) is not something a government with a cryogenically preserved PM can have can they? That's the only reason for his constant apparent stubborness. He can't change his thinking as he's actually dead. Just stuffed really, like our country.

Those who use the “slippery slope” tactic are attempting to hide their religious agenda. The tactic is to spread the fear that once accepted in principle, then by degrees more and more “social embarrassments” such as the mentally ill and maybe even the chronically unemployed will be dispatched against their wishes.

There is always the suspicion that signing a consent form while very ill may have been under pressure by family who may want release from their own discomfort of seeing a loved one in distress. The easiest way of getting around this is that if you wish to be euthanised, then make a video of yourself stating your wishes while you still can.

This article mentioned the cost of keeping those in a pathetic state alive. The pro-lifers who carry on about the sanctity of human life never ask themselves how many thousands of children in Africa who die every day from preventable causes could be saved by the resources put into keeping the over-80s alive in the developed world

'My life, my death, my choice'. It is a pity the right to deathers don't apply the same principle to unborn babies.

Runner, stay on track! What you mention is another issue entirely

Lesley

i just wish the 'anti-abortion', anti-euthanasia' mob were equally 'anti-war'.