LogFAQs > #978715922

DrizztLink posted...

Do you think the doctor makes the first decision about if someone wants to go through assisted suicide?

I think they play a part as does the rest of the society a person lives in and cultural expectations. There are massive cultural differences in suicide rates and I'd expect there to be massive cultural differences in euthanasia rates between cultures.

I don't want to live in a culture where there is an expectation that people who are depressed should just go to a doctor to sign off on getting euthanized.

https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-toronto-7c631558a457188d2bd2b5cfd360a867
Disturbing': Experts troubled by Canadas euthanasia laws

Alan Nichols had a history of depression and other medical issues, but none were life-threatening. When the 61-year-old Canadian was hospitalized in June 2019 over fears he might be suicidal, he asked his brother to bust him out as soon as possible.
Within a month, Nichols submitted a request to be euthanized and he was killed, despite concerns raised by his family and a nurse practitioner.
His application for euthanasia listed only one health condition as the reason for his request to die: hearing loss.

Here is another disturbing incident-

In one recording obtained by the AP, the hospitals director of ethics told Foley that for him to remain in the hospital, it would cost north of $1,500 a day. Foley replied that mentioning fees felt like coercion and asked what plan there was for his long-term care.
Roger, this is not my show, the ethicist responded. My piece of this was to talk to you, (to see) if you had an interest in assisted dying.
Foley said he had never previously mentioned euthanasia. The hospital says there is no prohibition on staff raising the issue.

So they basically brought up euthanasia for someone as a way to avoid the expense of a long hospital stay. The hospital isn't even denying that is what they did they are saying it was perfectly legal.