"Stop Living" Euthanasia Applications Surge Immediately After Implementation in Australia

30 Applications in South Australia Within 2 Months

In South Australia (SA), Australia, more than 30 people have applied for voluntary euthanasia within less than two months since the law took effect, and among them, six people ended their lives under the new law, Australian ABC News reported on the 22nd (local time).

The voluntary euthanasia law in SA was passed by the SA Parliament in 2021 after 17 attempts over 25 years and came into effect on January 31, one year and six months later.

SA health authorities stated, "Since the law was implemented, 32 people have applied, and 11 of them have been approved." They also reported that among the 11 approved, six people ended their lives either by receiving medication or self-administering it.

According to the law, to apply for voluntary euthanasia, one must be an adult aged 18 or older, an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and have resided in SA for at least 12 months.

Additionally, the patient must receive assessments from two or more independent medical professionals confirming that the condition is incurable, the disease is continuously progressing, and the expected life expectancy is less than 6 to 12 months.

The patient must also prove the capacity to independently decide on euthanasia and that they are fully informed.

In Australia, with the passage of a voluntary euthanasia law by the New South Wales (NSW) Parliament in May last year, euthanasia is now legal in all states.

The first state to establish an euthanasia law in Australia was Victoria, which passed the law in 2017 and implemented it from 2019.

According to Victoria, from July 2021 to June 2022, 269 people died under the voluntary euthanasia law over one year. This represents a 31% increase compared to the previous year and accounts for 0.58% of all deaths in Victoria during the same period.