Friday, July 14, 2023

France's National Academy of Medicine says NO to euthanasia but YES to assisted suicide

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

France euthanasia protest
David Sadler reporting for Globe Echo World News on July 14, 2023 stated that France's National Academy of Medicine decided on July 12, to support assisted suicide and oppose euthanasia. Sadler reported that they support “assisted suicide consisting in making a lethal product available to a person who requests it and self-administers it” and reject“euthanasia consisting of the administration by a third party of a lethal product to a person who requests it”.

On April 1, 2023, France’s National Council of the College of Physicians stated their opposition to legalizing euthanasia stating that it is against the participation of a physician in a process that would lead to euthanasia, and that a doctor cannot deliberately cause death by administering a lethal product. If assisted suicide does become legal, there should be conscience clauses put in place to protect doctors. The doctor should not actively participate when the patient takes the lethal product.

On December 29, 2022; the highest administrative court in France rejected a challenge to France's law by Switzerland's Dignitas assisted suicide group. France's Council of State has ruled that European Law does not recognise the right to die with dignity, and thus, France is not obligated to establish a regulation that legalises assisted suicide.

The National Academy of Medicine opposes any future law legislating that physicians can do the act (euthanasia) and they oppose physicians being forced to participate in assisted suicide.

The French people need to demand that their politicians say no to euthanasia or assisted suicide.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have heard that in Canada more than 95% of MAiD is actually administered by a medical person - thus euthanasia. Hope France's Medical Association doesn't move to Canada's horrible position.

Anonymous said...

I live in Canada. MAID is 100% Dr or nurse practioner (in some provinces) involvement. They don't just hand out the drugs. And more and more pressure is being put on physicians who don't want to participate. Conscience rights are being slowly eroded so Dr's don't have a choice. This is actually one of many driving forces in our physician shortage. People don't want to have to do things they are against. It's a terrible situation! I personally had an elderly family member in hospital a year ago. They were very persistent in asking if he wanted MAID over and over again! Literally harassed him and his wife to do it. It was terrible, as they were Christians and didn't believe in that.
Hospice facilities are being forced to provide MAID or get shut down! I know of at least one that lost their funding and were forced out! I can barely believe that this is happening! I hope and pray for France and every other country that they would stand strong and not allow this horrific practice to take root in their countries!