Writers of editorial need to read more studies

Response to editorial - "The right to die"

The North Shore News states in its editorial on Sept 14, 2011, concerning "The right to die" that:

"Studies of other jurisdictions that allow assisted suicide show no slippery slope to huge numbers of such deaths."

The fact is that studies show that there has been a slippery slope in the Netherlands where euthanasia and assisted suicide were originally allowed for people who were nearing death and suffering and it is now allowed for people with chronic depression and children born with disabilities.

In Belgium a recent study published in the CMAJ (May 2010) found that 32% of all euthanasia deaths in the Flanders region of Belgium were done without request or consent.

Another recent study about Belgium that was published in the BMJ (Oct 2010) found that only 52.8% of the euthanasia deaths in the Flanders region of Belgium were reported.

The writers of this editorial need to read all of the studies.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition