to move up and down
67% of Canadians support legalizing assisted suicide: poll
More than two-thirds of Canadians support making it legal for doctors to help the terminally ill kill themselves, a new poll suggests as the assisted-suicide issue once again provokes heated debate across the country.
Advocates on both sides of the question say the findings from a Forum Research survey are no surprise, but argue public opinion should not be the guiding force in deciding whether to change the current law, now under scrutiny in a closely watched B.C. court case.
Supporters of legalizing the practice maintain it is a matter of basic human rights that transcends popular attitudes; opponents say Canadians’ beliefs would change if care at the end of life were improved and death made more comfortable.
Dr. Death dies
Assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, known as “Dr. Death” for helping more than 100 people end their lives, died early on Friday at age 83, his lawyer said.
Dr. Kevorkian died at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, where he had been hospitalized for about two weeks with kidney and heart problems, said Mayer Morganroth, Dr. Kevorkian’s attorney and friend. (Photo: Rebecca Cook/Reuters)
