What are the main arguments against legalising euthanasia?
The main reasons given for not legalising euthanasia are that it is: • Unnecessary because alternative treatments exist • Dangerous putting vulnerable people at risk • Wrong contrary to all historical codes of ethics Isn’t it cruel to deprive suffering people of an end to their pain? Requests for euthanasia and assisted suicide are extremely rare when patients’ needs, including physical, social, psychological and spiritual needs, are properly met. Therefore we believe that our key priority should be to build on the excellent tradition of palliative care that we have in this country and make palliative care more readily accessible to all who need it. We need to get rid of the postcode lottery of palliative care in this country and promote care rather than killing. The vast majority of people dying in the UK, even from diseases like motor neurone disease (from which 1,000 people die every year, in the main comfortably with good palliative care) do not want euthanasia or assisted suicide.
