Watch: Doctor Jan Chircop Questions Validity Of New Euthanasia Survey
Doctor Jan Chircop warned that a recent euthanasia survey wasn’t worded in an adequate manner to gauge public opinion on the proposed reform.
The Misco survey asked people whether they prefer “palliative care that ensures a natural pain-free death” or “assisted suicide”. Around 70% of respondents said they prefer the first option.
However, Chircop pointed out that it is impossible to guarantee a pain-free natural death and that the survey should have instead asked people whether they would prefer euthanasia over a painful natural death.
“I actually expected the survey results to be much higher in favour of the first option,” he said. “If someone had to offer me the option of a natural pain-free death, it wouldn’t even cross my mind to consider euthanasia.”
“I personally wouldn’t know what I would do if I were to end up that situation [of a painful terminal illness] but if, God forbid, I do, I would appreciate a choice.”
Chircop argued that people deserve the choice of voluntary assisted euthanasia, even if they are in a minority. However, he pointed out that the question posed to the public in this particular survey wasn’t realistic.
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