Euthanasia Allowed for Terminal Patients With Less Than Six Months to Live
73% of Britons Support the Euthanasia Bill
The euthanasia system appears likely to be adopted in the United Kingdom as well.
The Washington Post (WP) reported that on June 20 (local time), the UK House of Commons passed a bill allowing euthanasia for terminally ill patients with less than six months to live, with 314 votes in favor and 291 against.
Because the UK Parliament is bicameral, consisting of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, if the bill passes the House of Lords as well, it is highly likely that the euthanasia system will become a reality in England and Wales.
Currently, assisting another person's death in these regions is considered illegal and can be punished by up to 14 years in prison. WP described the passage of this bill as "a significant social change."
The bill that passed the House of Commons was modeled after Oregon's euthanasia law in the United States. According to the bill, patients diagnosed with less than six months to live can request medication for euthanasia through the National Health Service (NHS), with approval from two doctors and a panel of experts.
However, the patient must be mentally competent and able to self-administer the medication. Other cases are not permitted.
Labour Party lawmaker Kim Leadbeater, who supported the bill, emphasized, "This is not about choosing between life and death, but about giving terminally ill patients the opportunity to choose how they face death."
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer voted in favor of the bill. He has maintained a neutral stance on this bill, which was introduced by a Labour Party member, and allowed party members to vote according to their own convictions rather than following a party line.
Before the vote, hundreds of citizens gathered outside Parliament, dividing into groups supporting and opposing the bill and holding demonstrations. Signs reading "Let us choose" and "Don't make doctors into murderers" were particularly noticeable.
A public opinion poll released this week showed that 73% of all Britons support the bill.
Currently, euthanasia remains illegal in most countries. Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, some U.S. states, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have legalized euthanasia or assisted dying.
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