The Dignity in Dying campaign group says more than 200 million people around the world have legal access to some form of assisted dying, external.

Switzerland has allowed assisted suicide since 1942. Its Dignitas facility began operating in 1998. However, all forms of euthanasia are against the law.

Assisted suicide is also legal in neighbouring Austria.

In the US,11 states allow assisted dying. Known as “physician-assisted dying”, it permits doctors to prescribe lethal drugs for self-administration.

Physician-assisted dying is legal in Oregon, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Washington, Hawaii, New Jersey, Vermont, Maine and Washington DC.

In Montana, court rulings allow doctors to defend themselves if they assist in a person’s suicide.

Voluntary euthanasia is legal in Canada where it is called medical assistance in dying. It can be provided by a doctor or nurse practitioner, either in person or through the prescription of drugs for self-administration.

It is also legal in Spain and Colombia, both of which also permit assisted suicide.

Assisted dying is legal in some parts of Australia but the law differs across states. It is not permitted in either the Northern or Australian Capital territories which have separate legal systems.

New Zealand’s End of Life Choice Act legalises assisted dying and allows adults in their final months of life to request assistance from a medical professional.

Three countries have laws that allow people who are not terminally ill to receive assistance to die: The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.



Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Before you post, please prove you are sentient.

What is frozen water?

Explore More

Trump picks Covid lockdown sceptic to lead top health agency

US President-elect Donald Trump has picked a leading Covid lockdown sceptic Jay Bhattacharya to be the next director of a key US public health agency. Trump said he had selected

Vomiting bug keeps pressure on hospitals in England

Hospitals in England have been “hit by a surge” of norovirus – the winter vomiting bug – adding to mounting pressure on the NHS, health officials say. Data shows there

Critical relationship between stem cells and mechanical signals unveiled

A new study from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and Institut Curie reveals how stem cells sense and respond to their environment, with implications for inflammatory bowel disease and