http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutanazja Uregulowania prawne na świecie [edytuj]
Eutanazja jest obecnie zalegalizowana w Holandii, Belgii (w tym chorych dzieci) i amerykańskim stanie Oregon, a do niedawna także w australijskim Terytorium Północnym (Sąd australijski orzekł, że ta kwestia należy do spraw wyłącznie federalnych i uchylił legalność eutanazji). Szczególna forma dozwolonej eutanazji występuje w Szwajcarii, gdzie można przepisać lek nasenny w śmiertelnej dawce, jednak chory musi go przyjąć samodzielnie.
W pozostałych krajach eutanazja jest niedozwolona i karana jak zwykłe zabójstwo lub w sposób łagodniejszy.
W Holandii eutanazja została zalegalizowana początkowo pod warunkiem wyrażenia świadomej zgody przez chorego. W 2005 roku dopuszczalność eutanazji rozszerzono na niemowlęta i dzieci do lat 10-ciu[1]. Pomimo warunku wyrażenia zgody częste są przypadki poddawania eutanazji osób, które takiej zgody nie mogą udzielić ponieważ są nieprzytomne i ocenia się, że do 40% zgonów w Holandii dochodzi w wyniku eutanazji[2]. W 2001 roku ONZ, a następnie Komisja Europejska skrytykowały holenderską praktykę eutanazyjną w dokumencie "Legalisation of Euthanasia in Europe. Written Declaration No. 312"[3].
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EuthanasiaLegislation and national political movements
[edit] The United Kingdom
On November 5, 2006, Britain's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists submitted a proposal to the Nuffield Council on Bioethics calling for consideration of permitting the euthanasia of disabled newborns.[8] The report does not address the current illegality of euthanasia in the United Kingdom, but rather calls for reconsideration of its viability as a legitimate medical practice.
In contrast there is increasing evidence that doctors in the UK are hardening their attitude against euthanasia or physician assisted suicide:
* UK doctors are particularly cautious about decisions to shorten life.[9]
* Compared with countries where euthanasia is illegal (eg. Italy, Sweden, Denmark), UK doctors are more open about discussing end-of-life decisions (ELD) with patients and relatives.[9]
* Compared with countries where euthanasia or physician assisted suicide is legal (eg. Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland), UK doctors are the same or more likely to report discussions on ELD with medical and nursing colleagues.[9]
* 94% of UK specialist doctors in palliative care are against a change in the law.[10]
* In 2006 both the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners voted against a change in the law.
[edit] Australia
Euthanasia was legalized in Australia's Northern Territory, by the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995. Soon after, the law was voided by an amendment by the Commonwealth to the Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978. The powers of the Northern Territory legislature, unlike those of the State legislatures, are not guaranteed by the Australian constitution. However, before the Commonwealth government made this amendment, three people had already been legally euthanized. The first person was a taxi driver, Bob Dent, who died on 22 September 1996.
Although it is a crime in most Australian states to assist in euthanasia, prosecutions have been rare. In 2002, relatives and friends who provided moral support to an elderly woman who committed suicide were extensively investigated by police, but no charges were laid. The Commonwealth government subsequently tried to hinder euthanasia with the passage of the Criminal Code Amendment (Suicide Related Materials Offences) Bill 2004. In Tasmania in 2005 a nurse was convicted of assisting in the death of her elderly mother and father who were both suffering from illnesses. She was sentenced to two and a half years in jail but the judge later suspended the conviction because he believed the community did not want the woman put behind bars. This sparked debate about decriminalising euthanasia.
[edit] Belgium
The Belgian parliament legalized euthanasia in late September 2002. Proponents of euthanasia state that prior to the law, several thousand illegal acts of euthanasia were carried out in Belgium each year. According to proponents, the legislation incorporated a complicated process, which has been criticized as an attempt to establish a "bureaucracy of death".
[edit] The Netherlands
In 2002, The Netherlands legalized euthanasia. The law codified a twenty year old convention of not persecuting doctors who have committed euthanasia in very specific cases, under very specific circumstances. The Ministry of Public Health, Wellbeing and Sports claims that this practice "allows a person to end their life in dignity after having received every available type of palliative care."[11]
[edit] Practice in The Netherlands
In 2003, in the Netherlands, 1626 cases were officially reported of euthanasia in the sense of a physician assisting the death (1.2% of all deaths). Usually the sedative sodium thiopental is intravenously administered to induce a coma. Once it is certain that the patient is in a deep coma, typically after some minutes, Pancuronium is administered to stop the breathing and cause death.
Officially reported were also 148 cases of physician assisted dying (0.14% of all deaths), usually by drinking a strong (10g) barbiturate potion. The doctor is required to be present for two reasons:
* to make sure the potion is not taken by a different person, by accident (or, theoretically, for "unauthorized" suicide or perhaps even murder)
* to monitor the process and be available to apply the combined procedure mentioned below, if necessary
In two cases the doctor was reprimanded for not being present while the patient drank the potion. They said they had not realized that this was required.
Forty-one cases were reported to combine the two procedures: usually in these cases the patient drinks the potion, but this does not cause death. After a few hours, or earlier in the case of vomiting, the muscle relaxant is administered to cause death.
By far, most reported cases concerned cancer patients. Also, in most cases the procedure was applied at home.
Switzerland
In Switzerland, deadly drugs may be prescribed to a Swiss person or to a foreigner, where the recipient takes an active role in the drug administration. More generally, article 115 of the Swiss penal code, which came into effect in 1942 (having been written in 1937), considers assisting suicide a crime if and only if the motive is selfish. The code does not give physicians a special status in assisting suicide; however, they are most likely to have access to suitable drugs and the medical establishment have prohibited highly liberal physicians from prescribing deadly drugs further. When an assisted suicide is declared, a police inquiry may be started. Since no crime has been committed in the absence of a selfish motive, these are mostly open and shut cases. Prosecution happens if doubts are raised on the patient's competence to make an autonomous choice. This is rare.
Article 115 was only interpreted as legal permission to set up organisations administering life-ending medicine in the 1980s, 40 years after its introduction.
These organisations have been widely used by foreigners - most notably Germans - as well as the Swiss. Around half of the people helped to die by the organisation DIGNITAS have been Germans.
[edit] United States
Main article: Euthanasia in the United States
Euthanasia is illegal in most of the United States. A recent Gallup Poll survey showed that 60% of Americans supported euthanasia.[12] Attempts to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide resulted in ballot initiatives and legislation bills within the United States in the last 20 years. For example, Washington voters saw Ballot Initiative 119 in 1991, California placed Proposition 161 on the ballot in 1992, Michigan included Proposal B in their ballot in 1998, and Oregon passed the Death with Dignity Act.
http://serwisy.gazeta.pl/swiat/1,34174,3993028.htmlCzynna eutanazja w Europie dopuszczana jest w Holandii, Belgii i Szwajcarii. Trwa debata na ten temat we Włoszech.
Styka?