To be very anxious about the assisted dying bill?

Same here. It's a start. I hope to see it expanded in due course.

Your maths is wrong. You've calculated % of population, not % of deaths.

I fully support it. Nobody should have to suffer through terminal illness if they’re in deep pain and would like that to end.

It's not applicable to people with dementia.

I don't agree with assisted suicide, believe too many people will be coerced or feel a burden. I also fear the slippery slope and the scope being widened.

If it is going to become law, one thing that would reduce the number of coerced people would be for some kind of 'opt-in' to the scope of the law. You declare at regular intervals (perhaps something akin to the donor card when it first came out) that if you have a terminal illness and expected to die within six months, you wish to be asked about assisted suicide as an option. By regular intervals, perhaps every five years.

I’d feel exactly the same. My poor Dm had dementia for around 15 years, until she died at 97. And I know her former, intensely private and fastidious self would have been horrified at what she’d become - doubly incontinent, no clue about anything, no longer recognising any of her family. And she wasn’t ’kept going’ - we wouldn’t have allowed it - she was just (physically) as tough as old boots. It’s beyond cruel.

That quote is basically suggesting you are doomed if you don't opt for assisted dying....it implies that you will have made the wrong decision.

I think the OP is perfectly reasonable to be anxious. I do think there are many problems with care of the elderly and ill at the moment. We don’t seem to have good palliative care or good support for those nearing the end of life. I also think we’re not good at judging when quality of life is best served by medication prolonging life when maybe allowing a natural decline with pain relief and good care is kinder. We already have the acceptance that medication which shortens life but reduces pain is fine.

I just don’t believe these issues are helped with doctors (whose first commitment is “do no harm”) being told they should be helping people to die by suicide.

It fundamentally changes the relationship between patients and doctors, and between family generations. It seems very cold and transactional to me, and will change our society in ways not easy to predict.

Refer in what context? And that quote is absolutely true.

Perhaps the numbers are higher than you would expect in Canada because it’s what a lot of people want?
I read somewhere that the suicide rate for vets is very high because they have access to life ending drugs. Now I’m not a vet but I wouldn’t have thought on average their life is much worse than the average person? So clearly it’s an option that people want.

Very anxious. I know there are a lot of safeguards in place but looking at Canada or the NL, we know that once the foot is in the door, things change. Add to that all the other attacks on disabled people and upcoming disability cuts and you start to wonder... one of my DC has severe learning difficulties and one has severe mental health issues (depression, 2 suicide attempts). When I see how things progressed on other countries, it's terrifying, esp in the context of changes labour is planning which will make life so much harder for those with additional support needs. I hope the Lords throw it out.

Once again I refer to this comment

I fully support assisted dying and if it’s not for you then just be prepared for yourself or a loved one to have a long, painful drawn out death

Who's 'shaming'? The only actual use of shame is from you?
Re your shame on you comment..

You don't find this comment problematic?

I fully support assisted dying and if it’s not for you then just be prepared for yourself or a loved one to have a long, painful drawn out death

I think it is reasonable to have many questions about it and to be somewhat cautious.
I think I support it, but am not totally dismissive of the counterarguments. I think it could lead to much less funding into palliative care and much less research into managing certain degenerative diseases.

I say this as someone who has just watched my father die after struggling for years with PSP - there is no cure for this and it wouldn't fit assisted dying. I assume neither would dementia/Parkinson's etc, so I would worry that there would be less time and money put into those illnesses. That isn't a reason to be against assisted dying, but I think it should be addressed.

The only people being “shamed” are those who want to deny the choice to those of us who want it.

Plenty of people dont.

I think anxiety is a very sensible reaction to this bill.
Plenty of left wing people don't support it, plenty of medical professionals don't support it, almost every disability organisation doesn't support it, the majority of doctors don't support it, I have heard first hand from a number of people who have witnessed loved ones dying in horrific ways, who also do not support it.
It is a bad bill.

But if it becomes legal and it looks like it will, it should be your choice shouldn't it? But we already have people trying to shame those who don't want to make that choice. That's just one reason why I don't think it should be law... because it's not really choice is it when it becomes the only socially acceptable decision

I've always believed a good death is an important as a good life.

Our society has a huge fear about dying and death, so many refuse to even discuss it. Yet it is the one thing we know will happen to us all. Maybe that's why we feel so scared about it?

It's a choice, an option, and it won't be available to all. There has been a huge amount of unkind fear mongering about it which is very unhelpful.

I'm really pleased and relieved the Bill has passed.

Absolutely this, @Comedycook re your concern of it will be widened to include unbearable suffering
You'd be happy for you or loved one to experience unbearable suffering at the end of their life?

If you want the option of assisted dying then ok, that's your choice

That isn’t what you’re saying. You’re trying to deny everyone that choice. You can only choose that option if it’s legally available.

I fully support assisted dying and if it’s not for you then just be prepared for yourself or a loved one to have a long, painful drawn out death

This is exactly the attitude that makes me fear it. Look how you're trying to shame and belittle those with concerns. If you want the option of assisted dying then ok, that's your choice, but you're trying to frame those who don't want it as being wrong in some way...rather than it being their choice. We are already creeping to be a society whereby assisted dying is the only socially acceptable choice.

Shame on you

@Comedycook

Ok. 17% of all deaths in the Netherlands in 2024 were by euthanasia. Out of 172,000 deaths, 9958 were by euthanasia.

Therefore 9958 people made a personal choice not to suffer a horrific prolonged death. They chose a more peaceful death, where they could say goodbye to their families before eg. they were in terrible pain, puking shit and getting their nappies changed by their spouse.

I fully support assisted dying and if it’s not for you then just be prepared for yourself or a loved one to have a long, painful drawn out death.

There’s no need to be anxious about it. It’s a choice. You don’t have to have an assisted death if you don’t want one. Those that do should be allowed to end their life in the way they choose. If you read what the proposed law includes you’ll see that it’s full of stops and checks before any help is given to die. I hope the Lords vote for it to become law.