Liam McArthur's Assisted Dying (Scotland) Bill will soon be debated in Holyrood.
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No one wants people to suffer at the end of life. But the reality of assisted suicide is very different from the image depicted by its supporters.
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In countries that have legalised so-called assisted dying, safeguards are swiftly eroded, and the most vulnerable are put at risk. In recent months, reports have emerged of marginalised Canadians seeking an ‘assisted death’ due to poverty, disability and homelessness.
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With living costs soaring, Scotland cannot afford a regime that leads people to choose death out of fear of poverty or homelessness.
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ASSISTED SUICIDE THREATENS THE VULNERABLE
Research shows that most people who choose to end their lives don’t do so because of physical suffering. Instead, they fear becoming a burden on others. In 2020, over 50% of people killed by assisted suicide in Oregon gave this reason for ending their lives (Oregon Death with Dignity Act 2018 Data Summary). This fear can easily be exploited through undue influence, subtle pressure and coercion.
DISABLED PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES FEAR THE LEGALISATION OF ASSISTED SUICIDE
Legalising assisted suicide changes how society views disabled people, and many of the disabled fear being pressured to end their lives.
SAFEGUARDS ARE OFTEN IGNORED OR REMOVED
In many countries, safeguards have come to be seen as barriers and have been reduced. Canada is introducing assisted suicide for those with mental health conditions, and disabled infants and dementia patients are euthanised in Belgium and the Netherlands.
THE PROVISION OF PALLIATIVE CARE IS UNDERMINED
Assisted suicide is increasingly seen as an alternative to palliative care, despite the latter being shown to significantly improve quality of life and lessen pain. Assisted suicide undermines such provisions that seek to treat a patient rather than kill them.
ASSISTED SUICIDE LEADS TO MORE SUICIDE GENERALLY
A 2015 study in the USA found that assisted suicide was linked to a 6.3% increase in total suicides and a 14.5% increase in the over 65s. Changing the law was associated with “an increased inclination to suicide in others. (D Jones, D Paton, "How does Legalisation of Physician-Assisted Suicide affect Rates of Suicide?" (2015) S Med J, 108, 10 599-604)
