In Australia, those people who wish to be organ donors signify their choice by opting in. Australians, despite having a deserved reputation for helping one another, have a relatively low rate of organ donation.

The method used by some countries is to assume that their people want to be organ donors and those who personally don't agree have the right to opt out. This method results in a higher percentage of organ donors, ie it could be said to be more effective in getting the required result.

I would like to see Australia do it this way too. What do others think?

Correct me if my memory fails me, but didn't we used to tick a box on our drivers licence to identify that we wanted to be organ donors? These days, I think that there is a form to fill out that people have to apply for. I would hazard a guess that this new system would have automatically reduced the number of people willing to be organ donors. I used to tick my driver's licence, but I haven't applied for the form.

There is also the problem with giving blood. You cannot simply go in off the street and give blood when you feel generous. Forms have to be taken home, filled in and taken back, an interview, tests taken and then if you are lucky you can give blood.

My expired, out of state drivers license says I'm an organ donor. Hopefully that's enough, although I doubt my organs are gonna be much good to anybody..

Yes, I remember that when I applied for my new drivers license I ticked the box to be an organ donor, [G-d knows who would want my well used/punished organs but ....] I noticed that my new drivers license does not say that I am an organ donor so when I drop off this mortal coil my legal next of kin will scratch their heads trying to guess my wishes because we have never discussed it, there are more immediate things to discuss

The Medicare office in the Brisbane CBD has the forms which made it easy for me to get one.

On the actual topic I really find myself of two minds
- I don't like the government taking anything by default
- The thought of someone dying because somebody else didn't get around to filling in a form or was to bloody minded to do so.

Given that I pay tax money which I could still use and which does not have a legal opt out clause maybe there should be no opt out clause on organ donation other than staying alive.

Is taking something which someone has no further use for to save somebody elses life somehow less moral than taking a significant proportion of the result of their pay every week for causes which the person may not support anyway?

R0bert

Rex you said. Australians despite having a deserved reputation for helping one another, have a relatively low rate of organ donation.

I wonder where you got the idea that Australians help one another. They might look after their own, but they dont help one another.

Just because they donate alot of money if there is a disaster that doesn't mean that they help one another. That just means that they have been programed well by the Government to respond with money when there is a disaster. There is no concern in helping in trying to prevent and avoid disasters.

I am an organ donor. Made a point to fill out the form. My main reason is that I have children and I would hope that if my children ever needed a donor organ that somebody would have been kind enough to make the effort and do the same and donate their organs. I cant ask for more than I am prepared to give.