Belgium recently expanded its law to authorize the killing of children and is debating whether to include demented adults who cannot give consent. Quebec鱿鱼视频app College of Physicians secretary Dr. Yves Robert sees expanding Quebec鱿鱼视频app proposed law as a logical progression.
Robert told the National Post: 鈥淭his bill, as it is right now, it鱿鱼视频app probably a landmark but surely not the end of the reflection.鈥�
He noted those with advanced Alzheimer鱿鱼视频app or those under 18 and suffering would not be eligible under Bill-52 as it is written.
鈥淲e have to think about that, not only for (incapable) adults but obviously for youngsters who face terminal diseases,鈥� Robert said.
鈥淲hat is amazing is that he鱿鱼视频app an advocate of this extension,鈥� said McGill University bioethicist Margaret Somerville, the founding director of the McGill Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law. 鈥淚 would have thought the people who are hoping to get the bill through would have been not very happy with his comments.
鈥淭hey keep saying, 鈥楴o, no, no, there鱿鱼视频app no slippery slope.鈥� He鱿鱼视频app advocating the logical slippery slope: once you step over the line and allow killing through euthanasia then it logically can be expanded to other situations that you can argue are analogous. He鱿鱼视频app giving actual proof before the bill is passed of one of the greatest dangers of the bill if it is passed.鈥�
Somerville noted there are two approaches to ethics: a principle-based approach that asks whether an action is inherently wrong, and a utilitarian approach that looks at whether an action will do more good than harm. In the principled approach, which she adopts, one must not do an inherently wrong act even if enormous good might come from it. But even utilitarians should oppose euthanasia, she said, because the risks and harms are far greater than the benefits and it鱿鱼视频app not necessary.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need euthanasia to relieve pain and suffering.鈥�
Robert鱿鱼视频app statements 鈥済ive evidence of exactly why the risks and harms outweigh any benefits pro-euthanasia advocates might hope for,鈥� Somerville said.
In the United Kingdom, a 2012 protocol called the Liverpool Care Pathway brought in 鈥渃ontinuous palliative sedation鈥� where patients were sedated and left alone to die without any food or fluids, she said. There鱿鱼视频app been 鈥渁n enormous fuss about it,鈥� she said, noting allegations some hospitals have been getting financial benefits for implementing it. It was looked into and found to be 鈥渟o unacceptable, it鱿鱼视频app been completely abandoned.鈥�
鈥淲henever you introduce interventions such as euthanasia, you can鈥檛 control them, even if you thought they were acceptable in the first place,鈥� she said.
The triple combination of old age, concern about the health care costs of an aging population and euthanasia is 鈥渁 lethal prescription,鈥� Somerville warned.
鈥淲ho wants to be old in Quebec?鈥� she asked, noting the passage of Bill-52 would open up the possibility for the abuse of sick, aging or vulnerable people.
Somerville hoped for the dissolution of the National Assembly before the euthanasia vote, expected on Feb. 20 (after The Register鱿鱼视频app press date), but there are rumours the government will pass Bill-52 before its budget bill is introduced and a possible election call.
鈥淲hat a dreadful thing to do: let鱿鱼视频app get our legalized killing authorized before we dissolve parliament,鈥� she said.
Anti-euthanasia groups were to hold a vigil Feb. 18 in Quebec City as a final rally against Bill-52.