Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
Introduced earlier this year, the bill aims to give people with an “advanced and progressive disease, illness or condition from which they cannot recover” the choice to legally seek help from health professionals to end their lives themselves to an end.
A consultation on his proposals which received 14,000 responses found that only 21 per cent refused to support the plan while a majority – 76 per cent – ​​did.
However, a second survey on specific aspects of the bill found that the vast majority – 93 per cent – were opposed.
Explaining the discrepancy, authors of reports at the Scottish Parliament Information Center (SPICe) noted that there was “strong evidence to suggest that a significant number of individual responses to both calls for opinion were the result of organized campaigns”.
In response to the SPICe report, Mr McArthur told Holyrood magazine: “Our current laws on assisted dying are failing too many Scots who are terminally ill, often leaving them facing an undignified and sometimes painful death despite efforts best of all palliative care. It is clear that a new, compassionate and safe law is needed.
“I was pleased to see the majority of respondents declaring their support for my measure and rightly emphasizing the importance of reducing suffering and maintaining personal dignity and autonomy.
“We can see from some of the distressing evidence to the consultation that what we have at the moment is not working to keep dying people, their families and other vulnerable people safe. I look forward to presenting the case for more choice and compassion to the committee as they scrutinize the Bill in detail.”
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The Scottish Humanist Association, which supports the bill, welcomed the findings
Scottish Humanist Association Chief Executive Fraser Sutherland said: “The results of this survey show strong support for moderate, rational and compassionate assisted dying laws among everyday citizens in Scotland.
“And the opinion of everyday citizens is important here: people facing a terminal illness and their families, not marginal pressure groups and reactionary voices from outside the country.
“Once again, the public have spoken clearly in favor of choice and compassion at the end of life and our politicians are watching over them to ensure the urgent change they want to see.”
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24598300.survey-finds-public-split-backing-assisted-dying-scotland/?ref=rss
