The gold standard for human experimentation is a randomly-assigned double-blind placebo-controlled study. Unfortunately, organising such a study to assess the effectiveness of the lethal medications used for executions in the United States and for physician-assisted suicide (PAS) has significant ethical issues. We need to rely upon historical data.
Continue reading Will assisted suicide always provide a quick and gentle death?As early as 1993 we were warned that assisted suicide would lead conjoining organ donation with euthanasia “as a plumb to society.” That is happening now in Netherlands and Belgium–including of people with mental illnesses, no less.
Continue reading Opening Door to Assisted Suicide Organ DonorsThe American College of Physicians, the second-largest physician group in the United States with 152,000 members, has declared that physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is unethical. Read more >>
Continue reading UNITED STATES: Major US doctors group slams physician-assisted suicide:The American College of Physicians, after studying the issue, has issued a policy statement against the legalization of assisted suicide. Read more >>
Continue reading UNITED STATES: American College of Physicians Opposes Assisted Suicide:In Oregon, 48.9% of patients who ended their lives under the state’s assisted suicide act said that fear of being a burden was one of their reasons. We should be very worried by this, argues Charles Foster, a British medical ethicist. Read more >>
Continue reading UNITED STATES (OREGON): Is fear of being a burden a good reason for assisted suicide?