Canada's Quebec province passes law allowing assisted suicide

[webfact]

Quebec passes law allowing assisted suicide

MONTREAL: -- Canada's Quebec province adopted legislation Thursday allowing terminally ill patients to kill themselves with a doctor's help, becoming the first jurisdiction in the country to effectively legalize assisted suicide.

The move sets the stage for a judicial row with Ottawa, as federal criminal law forbids euthanasia even with a person’s consent.

Opponents have said it will undermine confidence in doctors’ care, but there is growing demand for the suffering to have more control over their parting.

To get around Canada’s criminal law against assisted suicide, Quebec is expected to argue that this is a health issue, which falls under its jurisdiction, and not a criminal matter.

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard defended the bill, saying it dealt with end of life care, and "not euthanasia."

The French-speaking province’s former health minister said when it was unveiled last year that the law would allow Quebecers to face "their final days in a more serene way, and in accordance with their wishes."
AFP


-- The Nation 2014-06-06

[Somtamnication]

Does that allow all the pro independence PQ members do it to themselves?

[englishoak]

Good news about a right to decide on what little you have ..your life, well overdue in most nations still.

[oneday]

Finally an enlightened government.

[Ulysses G.]

Goods news. Why should sick people have to suffer and suffer with no hope of recovery?

[Pralaad]

The problem is many do get better and many do live long even when terminally sick .

Many also get depressed and may make the wrong choice, so the full trust is then placed on to a doctor , but how many doctors will be willing to accept full responsibility?

I am not against it nor pro it, just expressing my thoughts

[robblok]

The problem is many do get better and many do live long even when terminally sick .

Many also get depressed and may make the wrong choice, so the full trust is then placed on to a doctor , but how many doctors will be willing to accept full responsibility?

I am not against it nor pro it, just expressing my thoughts

I am pro.. its a personal choice and with any choice you can make the wrong one. But it is your body your choice.. the only one you harm is yourself (and loved ones) But having to stay around for loved ones even when your in pain is also selfish of the loved ones.

I know that I would exit life at my choosing time one way or the other, and nobody will tell me I cannot. The good thing about assisted is that its less painful and leads to less a mess. Less people will have to do it themselves shocking their family with it.

Your remark is good about mental health.. but ultimately mental pain is real too and makes life bad. Suppose you loose your legs and people make you live on saying its just your legs. I feel its MY choice not someone else his.

Not being argumentative just my opinion.

[Choonpon]

I have a relative who has been bedridden for at least 20years. Started with stroke, was able to move around with a walking stick and assistance for a couple years. Got pneumonia and other complications and since then bedridden. Nil by mouth with milk fed through a tiny whole in the stomach. He's in agony mentally and physically. Luckily the family is well off and able to hire proper care and medical. To see a loved one slowing fading away day by day, month by month, year by year without a clue which day is today...its really heart wrenching.

[Lancelot]

Good news about a right to decide on what little you have ..your life, well overdue in most nations still.

I agree.

Most people in the West are appalled by suffering animals and consider it a blessing to "put them to sleep."

But we will subject grandma to untold suffering to extend her life, if even for only a few days. Most doctors pray for a massive heart attack, to get it over with...

[bangon04]

Good news about a right to decide on what little you have ..your life, well overdue in most nations still.

I agree.

Most people in the West are appalled by suffering animals and consider it a blessing to "put them to sleep."

But we will subject grandma to untold suffering to extend her life, if even for only a few days. Most doctors pray for a massive heart attack, to get it over with...

Western society demands a slow, painful, undignified decline and death in people with no expectation of quality of life. Must be our wonderful strong Christian values that make it so important to suffer.

But there are some signs of a change in attitude, like Switzerland and now Quebec.

[Pralaad]

The problem is many do get better and many do live long even when terminally sick .

Many also get depressed and may make the wrong choice, so the full trust is then placed on to a doctor , but how many doctors will be willing to accept full responsibility?

I am not against it nor pro it, just expressing my thoughts

I am pro.. its a personal choice and with any choice you can make the wrong one. But it is your body your choice.. the only one you harm is yourself (and loved ones) But having to stay around for loved ones even when your in pain is also selfish of the loved ones.

I know that I would exit life at my choosing time one way or the other, and nobody will tell me I cannot. The good thing about assisted is that its less painful and leads to less a mess. Less people will have to do it themselves shocking their family with it.

Your remark is good about mental health.. but ultimately mental pain is real too and makes life bad. Suppose you loose your legs and people make you live on saying its just your legs. I feel its MY choice not someone else his.

Not being argumentative just my opinion.

Totally understand your opinion.

But if you made the wrong choice in the passion of the moment, can not undo it .

That's kind of the point I was trying to make.

[robblok]

The problem is many do get better and many do live long even when terminally sick .

Many also get depressed and may make the wrong choice, so the full trust is then placed on to a doctor , but how many doctors will be willing to accept full responsibility?

I am not against it nor pro it, just expressing my thoughts

I am pro.. its a personal choice and with any choice you can make the wrong one. But it is your body your choice.. the only one you harm is yourself (and loved ones) But having to stay around for loved ones even when your in pain is also selfish of the loved ones.

I know that I would exit life at my choosing time one way or the other, and nobody will tell me I cannot. The good thing about assisted is that its less painful and leads to less a mess. Less people will have to do it themselves shocking their family with it.

Your remark is good about mental health.. but ultimately mental pain is real too and makes life bad. Suppose you loose your legs and people make you live on saying its just your legs. I feel its MY choice not someone else his.

Not being argumentative just my opinion.

Totally understand your opinion.

But if you made the wrong choice in the passion of the moment, can not undo it .

That's kind of the point I was trying to make.

True, but I doubt choices like that are made in the passion of the moment. I would think it would take at least a bit of time to set it up (weeks maybe) and then at anytime you can abort. Its not like after an accident.. damm i lost my legs or eyes ect ect.. 5 min later get helped to put to sleep. I would say you would have some time thinking about it before everything is arranged.

Put a waiting time of a month on it in (some) cases (not every case if there is substantial pain making someone live a month longer is just cruel).

[Suradit69]

Good news about a right to decide on what little you have ..your life, well overdue in most nations still.

I agree.

Most people in the West are appalled by suffering animals and consider it a blessing to "put them to sleep."

But we will subject grandma to untold suffering to extend her life, if even for only a few days. Most doctors pray for a massive heart attack, to get it over with...

I'm sure there are many people in the west who would love to see grandma put to sleep. Agatha Christie mysteries abound with people who are dedicated to the thesis.

In some cultures grandma would be set adrift in a leaky canoe or on a melting ice floe. In the US hospitals set grandma adrift in a taxi if she hasn't died when her insurance runs out.

The hospital confirms she was put in a taxi and the driver was told to take her to Skid Row. Why was she wearing little more than a hospital gown? Because the hospital admits they had lost her clothes and sent her away without pants or even shoes. They did, however, give her a diaper.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dumped-on-skid-row/

"They're dumping a 62-year-old woman with dementia in the heart of Skid Row? That's what's going on. And it's shocking and it's criminal," argues Rocky Delgadillo, the Los Angeles City Attorney.

His office is investigating more than 50 cases of alleged homeless dumping on Skid Row. "These may be the perfect victims. Because a homeless individual dumped on Skid Row disappears into the chaos of Skid Row within minutes. It's hard for us to find them and then get the evidence that we need."

[Pralaad]

The problem is many do get better and many do live long even when terminally sick .

Many also get depressed and may make the wrong choice, so the full trust is then placed on to a doctor , but how many doctors will be willing to accept full responsibility?

I am not against it nor pro it, just expressing my thoughts

I am pro.. its a personal choice and with any choice you can make the wrong one. But it is your body your choice.. the only one you harm is yourself (and loved ones) But having to stay around for loved ones even when your in pain is also selfish of the loved ones.

I know that I would exit life at my choosing time one way or the other, and nobody will tell me I cannot. The good thing about assisted is that its less painful and leads to less a mess. Less people will have to do it themselves shocking their family with it.

Your remark is good about mental health.. but ultimately mental pain is real too and makes life bad. Suppose you loose your legs and people make you live on saying its just your legs. I feel its MY choice not someone else his.

Not being argumentative just my opinion.

Totally understand your opinion.

But if you made the wrong choice in the passion of the moment, can not undo it .

That's kind of the point I was trying to make.

True, but I doubt choices like that are made in the passion of the moment. I would think it would take at least a bit of time to set it up (weeks maybe) and then at anytime you can abort. Its not like after an accident.. damm i lost my legs or eyes ect ect.. 5 min later get helped to put to sleep. I would say you would have some time thinking about it before everything is arranged.

Put a waiting time of a month on it in (some) cases (not every case if there is substantial pain making someone live a month longer is just cruel).

Also true. I guess perhaps having sessions with a shrink should be made compulsory to make sure person is really making the right choice in the right state of mind .

Some people give up easy some go out fighting till the last breath.

I watched my mother die, who was in incredible pain but was fighting till the last minutes.

Few weeks before she passed I asked doctors how much time she had left , the standard answer was "do not know, from 1 month to 1 year"

If I had a say, I would want to have counseling sessions with family present to make sure no regrets, and I am certain loved ones would support sick person choice if they knew it was the end

[MichelBangkok]

Does that allow all the pro independence PQ members do it to themselves?

There is always someone with an ill-thought remark ready to push on the "add reply" button on TV, just to add a silly statement to the list, and increase his (her) number of posts. Somtamnication being the first example. What does the independence of French speaking Quebec from the rest of English speaking Canada has to do with this topic being "assisted suicide" in the province ?

Not funny and Hopeless...

[rgs2001uk]

Goods news. Why should sick people have to suffer and suffer with no hope of recovery?

More compassion shown to dumb animals than humans.

They shoot horses dont they?

Can only hope when my time comes I have the choice, rather than nut jobs determining my fate.

The pharmacutical industry and hospitals will be up in arms, if they are so concerned, let them treat us for free, its all about profit.

Its money that matters, never mind your quality of (non existant) life

[robblok]

Also true. I guess perhaps having sessions with a shrink should be made compulsory to make sure person is really making the right choice in the right state of mind .

Some people give up easy some go out fighting till the last breath.

I watched my mother die, who was in incredible pain but was fighting till the last minutes.

Few weeks before she passed I asked doctors how much time she had left , the standard answer was "do not know, from 1 month to 1 year"

If I had a say, I would want to have counseling sessions with family present to make sure no regrets, and I am certain loved ones would support sick person choice if they knew it was the end

This is a personal question and a maybe a stupid one. I hope you don't mind. If she had wanted and it was legal could you have agreed to it ? It is such a hard choice. I am happy I have not yet lost my parents but the time will come. I can only hope its quick and painless. Anyway I know that I want to decide my time to end it, but i might not be able to. But loved ones do make it hard if alone and just thinking of yourself its easier to stop living.

[Scott]

Very few places make 'assisted' suicide easy. If you wish to impulsively off yourself, you are on your own. In most places, there are legal safeguards, psychological/psychiatric evaluations, and medical input before someone is given any assistance.

[Pralaad]

Also true. I guess perhaps having sessions with a shrink should be made compulsory to make sure person is really making the right choice in the right state of mind .

Some people give up easy some go out fighting till the last breath.

I watched my mother die, who was in incredible pain but was fighting till the last minutes.

Few weeks before she passed I asked doctors how much time she had left , the standard answer was "do not know, from 1 month to 1 year"

If I had a say, I would want to have counseling sessions with family present to make sure no regrets, and I am certain loved ones would support sick person choice if they knew it was the end

This is a personal question and a maybe a stupid one. I hope you don't mind. If she had wanted and it was legal could you have agreed to it ? It is such a hard choice. I am happy I have not yet lost my parents but the time will come. I can only hope its quick and painless. Anyway I know that I want to decide my time to end it, but i might not be able to. But loved ones do make it hard if alone and just thinking of yourself its easier to stop living.

It is indeed a hard question but in no way a stupid one.

The answer is also very difficult , because my brain would say yes, if this was her choice I would accept it and help , however this is the answer now and answer from my brain.

If we could go back in time and you asked me same question again, while she was still alive, I honestly do not know what my answer would be .

At such emotional times, I found my brain and heart did not work well together.

You want them to stop suffering, but there was always little voice of hope.

It may sound stupid or crazy but moment of death is the most horrifying experience one can ever witness but it is also the most calming one, for few mins it is as if the world no longer exists.

[billd766]

I have made a living will stating that if it comes to the stage of having to stay in hospital plugged into a machine and drip fed to stay alive then do NOT do it.

Send me home with enough pain killers to dull the pain and leave me there.

The cost to keep me alive will have to come from my wife and my sons future and I want their future to be saved for them.

I am 70 and I have had a great life and I am so grateful and lucky to be married to my wife and have shared in my sons live.

When it is time for me to go I want to go out my way with dignity and my family not to far away.

I put 3 attachments here which may be of use or help to people.

One is the living will regulations in Thai, the same in English and the 3rd is a living will in English.

Please plan now for your death as it may come before you are ready.

I got the stuff from Isaan lawyers several years ago though TVF.

Living Wills in Thailand - Regulation in Thai.pdf

living_will_regulation_(Thailand)_English_by_Isaan_Lawyers.pdf

Living_Will_English.doc