LEGALISATION OF EUTHANASIA AND THE RIGHT TO DIE WITH DIGNITY

Abstract

Death, as well as birth, represents an integral and inseparable part of life, which inevitably occurs, and that’s why it is necessary to make it easier and more dignified. The aim of this paper is to motivate the general public to think and discuss possible consequences of hasty legalisation of euthanasia. The arguments for and against euthanasia as well as the most common reasons for the request of performing euthanasia, which include terminal stages of incurable diseases, unbearable pain, depression and dependence on somebody else’s aid have been presented. Additionally, there have been presented the experiences of a small number of countries in which euthanasia was legalised, and where beside distinctly defined law procedure abuses apears, despite the fact that public debate took place 30 years before the legalisation. A pilot project was conducted on a sample of 326 participants of the Republic of Serbia, chosen randomly, in order to determine a relation between a number of participants supporting euthanasia and a number of participants not supporting it, as well as their subjective pain tolerance. The participants filled in a questionnaire related to euthanasia and a subjective sensation of pain, to which they could only give definite answers with yes or no. The obtained results of this pilot project show that 50,9% of participants in the Republic of Serbia support euthanasia and 58% of them quite easily endure pain. A percentage of supporters of euthanasia in the Republic of Serbia is, statistically speaking, significantly lower than in other countries, because 56% of US citizens, 77% of British citizens and 80% of Canadian citizens support euthanasia. According to all the above mentioned, it can be concluded that there is no need to hurry up with the legalisation of euthanasia in the Republic of Serbia. Before passing the law, a public debate is necessary in which lawyers, medical practitioners (of various profiles), psychologists, philosophers, church representatives and citizens interested in this issue, will take part. It is necessary, before passing the law, to make health, financial and legal presumptions that will protect terminally sick patients from any kind of autocracy and self-determining assessment and to create for them conditions for dignified end.