Assisted Suicide

[Gavin]

Without looking it up, as I'm about to head to bed, I'm pretty sure the Swiss clinics use an oral dose of barbiturates, which seems a bit less "scary" than gas or an injection.

If I was brain dead/no chance to come back.. i'd tell my kids/family to pull the plug.

No, you wouldn't. You'd be brain dead.

Anyway, I'm all for it.

 

[Dave]

Yeah I thought they give a lethal dose of pain killers?

 

[Jake]

Having said that, I wouldn't want to go by injection...

Dignitas, the euthanasia clinic in Zurich, don't use injection as far as i'm aware. They give the patient a drink containing a lethal dose of barbiturates (a CNS depressant) which makes them feel drowsy, fall asleep, fall into a coma and then die. It's completely painless, and i'm guessing is basically dieing in your sleep.

There were some sort of problems with the barbs at some point, and they used helium (which was apparently much less humane and caused fitting before death), but now they're using the barbs again.

I think there are many problems, such as the cost (people have been charged £10,000 and more for the procedure), which seem to be exploitative, but I think that if it was legalised and controlled in more countries, these problems could be ironed out as it would all be more 'official'.

I'm a person who lives in fear of progressive illnesses, and believe that i'm going to die from one before I retire... negative I know, but it's my gut feeling.

However, it's more the fear of deteriation and losing my dignity that i'm afriad of, rather than death itsself, so I hope that in the not-so-distant future the UK will have clinics like this, so I can live knowing that I could end it if I ever needed to.

I just think the people against it are selfish... and hey, in an economical sense, it's less of a drain on the benefits system (and NHS bills), and it could even be taxed, so if someone WANTS to die, and relieve us (as well as themselves and their family) of the burden, then I think it's cruel to deny them the oppertunity.

By the way, Dignitas = Death with Dignity.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

The first machines were based around injection of heavy doses of drugs.

Kevorkian switched to the gas mask (which was really just carbon monoxide) when they revoked his medical license.

So, yes, gas was used, but it was used after lethal injection methods were put in place.

Ah okay, thanks. I use to look it up all the time when I was little, strange, I know, but it has always been a fascianting topic to me.

No, you wouldn't. You'd be brain dead.

I was going the say the same thing

About the clinic in Zurich.. I don't quite get the point of it. If they simply feed you pills, and you are well enough to actually get up and go to the clinic, why not just.. Take an overdose of pills at home?

 

[Dave]

^ Because Euthanasia is illegal in most countries. The partner/husband/wife could go to prison if they are found to of helped the deceased

 

[Anonymous]

Is sending a girl into a huge orgasm which then makes them die in happiness assisted suicide or murder? I don't want to be a murderer at only 11

 

[Sam]

Nah I only got community service when I did that to your Mum, so you should be fine mate.

 

[Slash]

I'd rather be dead/help someone else with my organs than sit there as a waste.

Then you'd have to have been in a car crash and immdeiately died unfortunately. Thats why organs are so rare, its rare for someone, who is an organ donor, to die in a car crash without ruining most of his organs.

However, yes im all for it. Euthanasia is the thing I want if i get Alzheimers or any other really degrading disease, I never want my children or grandchildren seeing me go mad.

Who ever said I was dieing in a car crash Mr. Futureman?

Wasn't saying that, its only, if you die of natural causes you aren't allowed to give your organs. You have to be killed in certain circumstances, the most common, a car crash. As your organs may still be able to be used as they may still work, whilst if you've had cancer or if you've died of heart disease they aren't allowed to use your organs just in case.

 

[nealbie]

Yes, Slash speaks rather basic common sense Snoo.

Man dies of cancer - doctors can't give alive man dead man's organs as this may lead to - alive man getting cancer and become dead man v.2.

It's a vicious cycle

 

[Snoo]

Wasn't saying that, its only, if you die of natural causes you aren't allowed to give your organs. You have to be killed in certain circumstances, the most common, a car crash. As your organs may still be able to be used as they may still work, whilst if you've had cancer or if you've died of heart disease they aren't allowed to use your organs just in case.

While yes, certain circumstances do apply, if you had a heart attack, you can still donate.

Brain death is the common denominator in all of this.

http://www.donatelifeohio.org/learn_who.aspx
http://www.organdonor.gov/donation/typesofdonation.htm

And no Neal.. his logic isn't sound. As I noted, people can be disqualified from donating for many reasons, including cancer.

Next time, know what the hell you are talking about.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

Whoaa wait, people have their organs removed while they're still on artificial life support? I'm assuming that just means maybe the kidney and stuff, not the actual heart, but the thought still freaked me out.

^ Because Euthanasia is illegal in most countries. The partner/husband/wife could go to prison if they are found to of helped the deceased

No I know, but for example, in the case of the couple who went to Dignatas and died together without their family knowing and stuff, why not just die together at home by overdosing on pills at the same time?

 

[Snoo]

Whoaa wait, people have their organs removed while they're still on artificial life support? I'm assuming that just means maybe the kidney and stuff, not the actual heart, but the thought still freaked me out.

See.. when they take OUT the organs.. they turn the life support off.. ie: the heart.

 

[Slash]

Wasn't saying that, its only, if you die of natural causes you aren't allowed to give your organs. You have to be killed in certain circumstances, the most common, a car crash. As your organs may still be able to be used as they may still work, whilst if you've had cancer or if you've died of heart disease they aren't allowed to use your organs just in case.

While yes, certain circumstances do apply, if you had a heart attack, you can still donate.

Brain death is the common denominator in all of this.

http://www.donatelifeohio.org/learn_who.aspx
http://www.organdonor.gov/donation/typesofdonation.htm

And no Neal.. his logic isn't sound. As I noted, people can be disqualified from donating for many reasons, including cancer.

Next time, know what the hell you are talking about.

Well, if you noted "Organ's will be reviewed after death", meaning in most
cases, they aren't allowed.

I obviously didn't mean every case. God, its like if you say one thing, you have to back it up with full evidence, oh yeah and you can't generalise, pfft, how stupid! Getting your point across in less than a thousand words, stupid.


Look it up. Most donors are involved in car crashes when they die/shortly before dying. Most of the time its accidents, very rarely is it after having died of cancer or other fatal illnesses.

 

[nealbie]

And no Neal.. his logic isn't sound. As I noted, people can be disqualified from donating for many reasons, including cancer.

Um, yeah, wtf Snoo? You didn't say that EVER before I posted :lol:

And funnily enough I was agreeing with Slash for saying that people with cancer can't donate.

So, um. Please read before typing ****. Thanks. Ta

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

^ But even so, the one site does say you can still have a medical condition and donate, but I don't think you can donate if you actually died FROM the condition.

See.. when they take OUT the organs.. they turn the life support off.. ie: the heart.

Yah, but it said this:

After the organs have been removed, the patient is taken off artificial support.

Which sounds like they remove the organs first, and THEN kill you.

And UC, yeah I understand what you are saying, but yah for the case of the couple I was talking about, their family didn't even know at all, so finding them on a heap in the floor or getting a phone call saying they both decided to kill themselves would both be pretty tragic and not completely dignified anyway.

But either way yah it's good but in their situation I didn't completely get it.

 

[Snoo]

Well, if you noted "Organ's will be reviewed after death", meaning in most
cases, they aren't allowed.

I obviously didn't mean every case. God, its like if you say one thing, you have to back it up with full evidence, oh yeah and you can't generalise, pfft, how stupid! Getting your point across in less than a thousand words, stupid.


Look it up. Most donors are involved in car crashes when they die/shortly before dying. Most of the time its accidents, very rarely is it after having died of cancer or other fatal illnesses.

First of all, stupid, I was agreeing with you and only expanded on your point. Learn to read and get your point across in less than 1000 words jackass.

Second, the second half of that wasn't meant to you.. something I should have clarified.. but you come at me like a total ass. Congrats, you fail.

Third, just because they are reviewed does NOT mean they will be rejected. For instance, because of my epilepsy, my organs could be reviewed because of my medical history.

Actually, now that I think about it, every organ which is transplanted is reviewed you fool. No one blindly throws an organ into someone else without finding out if there could be problems.

PS: As UC said.. which he said correctly:

However, it should be noted that optical and tissue donations ARE possible without the need for a brain-related death. So in a way, you're both right.

Good job.

Um, yeah, wtf Snoo? You didn't say that EVER before I posted Laughing

And funnily enough I was agreeing with Slash for saying that people with cancer can't donate.

So, um. Please read before typing . Thanks. Ta

Pardon me for your poorly worded post. Made it seem as if you actually thought that someone was dumb enough to put a cancerous organ into another person. Sounds like something you would do.

Word it better ya sex slave.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

Except you're missing the crucial point - the concern here is not with the after-effects of their deaths, it's the concern about the dignity of the death itself. You should also understand that, once again, you're only looking at things from your point of view.

I'm not looking it at from my point of view.. I already said I agree with assisted suicide 100%, I just didn't understand their situation. Yah I guess it's "dignified" in a way, and I sort of understand it, but they weren't even terminally ill, so taking your life for almost no reason (they were sick.. One guy was epileptic and the girl was diabetic and even though I wasn't in their shoes I know a lot of people who have those illnesses and aren't killing themselves over it) seems like a waste.

They were probably given these drugs while they were laying in a hospital bed of some sort, so that once death came, they would not struggle or fall in to a heap. They more than likely died very peacefully, very formally - with dignity.

According to reports and stuff, it was on a single bed in a rented out loft that Dignata rented out. And one of the two, I think it was the girl, supposedly suffered for a while before dying. They probably thought they were going to die peacefully though, so that I understand.

the decision to die and who was involved in it - before you comment on the "dignity" of the subject. Should the right to die be a decision that is made by one's self?

Yes it should.

Should family be involved in the decision-making process, or should they simply accept what you choose to do based on your right to choice?

One of the major reasons I agree with assisted suicide is the fact that a lot of people want their loved ones near them, and want to give their loved ones a chance to say goodbye to them properly. There's also the personal part of dying dignified as well, but in the case of terminally ill patients, they should let their family know in my opinion, and the family should respect their choice. For the couple though, and not being terminally ill, yah I can see why they didn't tell their family.. I don't think any family member would ever approve if someone came up to them and said they wanted to kill themselves .

How would you feel if you were terminally ill, and you wanted to end the pain through death, but your family refused to give you permission? Would you respect their wishes, or decide that you have a right to choose your own fate in the matter?

That's something I think I would have to completely be in the situation to know my answer for sure. Right now I would say no I wouldn't go through with it unless, even if my family disagreed, they would still be at my bedside while I died.

 

[Slash]

Ok, whatever. You're correct, I just badly worded my argument. I actually still think we were trying to argue the same point.

And of course their not going to blindly put in an organ... Actually come to think of it, surgeons left a swab in a person and the person died the other week who knows.

 

[Karen]

I am all for assisted suicide as long as it is definately what the person wants.

I helped put many animals to rest when I was a veterinary nurse years ago. And yes most of the time it seemed to be the humain thing to do, to put them out of their suffering, but sometimes you did think "is this the right thing?" Once someone bought in 2 dogs for putting to sleep claiming they were vicious. He left them with us alive claiming he didn't want to observe the act of killing them, paid and left. They were 2 lovely dogs. We put them in kennels and watched them and interacted with them throughout the day realising they were good dogs and the guy just wanted rid of them! The vet took them to a rescue centre later that day.

 

[Anonymous]

Sickened

I am absolutely SICKENED by this poll. Well not the poll, its a good quetion, but the fact that more people who voted, voted for yes. That is load of bull. Who are we too choose when we are gonna end our lives. We dont belong to ourselves but too God. He created us and you think we get too choose when we die. You might not know it but God has a plan for your life. Just sickening what people think :evil: