Death Penalty / Euthanasia

[andysfootball]

I know there has been a lot of debate in the US recently with various states either stopping or suspending the death penalty because of concerns about the drugs and how humane they are.

How come whenever you read about Euthanasia it’s always said by witnesses to be incredibly peaceful and dignifying but those on death row apparently were subject to pain and agony.

I know certainly pharmaceutical companies won’t sell drugs for the death penalty but euthanasia drugs have been around for decades so surely there is no patent on them and anyone could knock up generics.

Surely can they not just use the same approach?

Happy New Year to you as well!

 

[monkeytassle]

I don't see the argument. There is an ethical approach which I imagine falls on the Pfizer media team where they don't want to be associated with the very emotive subject of death penalty and ultimately what they make dollar wise won't be worth the reputational damage. I think most people agree with euthanasia aside from governments and if I was ceo of a pharma I'd be happy to produce the best product to send the aquiescent person away. It will probably look good commercially.

 

[gards2]

We've a very close friend who is 45 next month, and was diagnosed with brain cancer in May, has deteriorated rapidly to the point she is now at home, on nothing but pain meds and anti-seizure drugs making the most of her last few weeks / months.
She has been provided the home euthanasia option and has the pill waiting in her wardrobe for when she decides the pain is too much and she wants to slide away peacefully and with dignity. It a terribly upsetting situation for everyone to be in, but we fully support her decision as it's her life and her body. Rightly, it is a very difficult process to navigate to get to this point with her oncology doctor having to agree that there is no more treatment, and that she is in sound mind when requesting. Then 2 weeks later they all meet again with another specialist doctor present to go through the same again, then when they are ok, you go to a third appointment (two weeks later again) with two totally independent medical professionals to make the final decision. There's only 2 pharmacies in the whole of Victoria who can dispense the drug, and again collecting it requires a long consult with the head pharmacist to go through the process.

She has it now, but isn't ready for "death day" just yet, but we will and do fully support her when the time comes for her to make her decision.

I personally think it is a very human and humane way of dealing with a problem that can only lead to pain and a horrible and inevitable death, and one I would choose if I'm ever in that situation. But fuck we will miss her.

That's really sad my mates dad died of the same thing. Started feeling light headed and failing over and died within what seemed like months after diagnosis.

 

[CPLforever]

Speaking as someone who would probably take that option with my condition as it progresses I doubt that the UK will ever make euthanasia legal for a number of reasons.

Firstly there will always be the moral/religious arguments regardless of whether or not you agree with them.

Secondly no safeguarding can guarantee that a person was not "influenced" in their decision. A (not particularly nice) example would be an elderly person requiring nursing home care that would result in their house being sold, which might not sot well with the potential inheritor/s and puts pressure on the individual either by knowing it is an issue or even coldly more direct pressure.

Thirdly and perhaps cynically from me there is too much money in the care, medical aids and pharmaceutical industries to not keep people alive. I am not just referring to those who have made substantial amounts from these businesses but also the thousands of ordinary care, medical, ancillary, sales and other jobs that people work as in these sectors.

The care group I am with has four homes of roughly equal size so for example if a quarter of the residents took a hypothetical euthanasia option then that leaves an empty home to either be filled again by a dwindling pool of clients or closed and sold for other purposes, making the staff redundant. Extrapolate this scenario nationwide and you have potentially thousands of job losses and multiple vacant properties.

TL;DR- I've gone off topic to give my early hours thoughts on euthanasia. Apologies for the rant and also if it makes no sense

No , that wasn't a rant. Or off topic, it was very thoughtful and enlightening. Agree with the idea of voluntary euthanasia I suppose (do have reservations) )but agree about the massive safeguarding that needs to be put in place. Also as @Ciro_DiMarzio says, I must be a softy lefty cos I am steadfastly against the death penalty, in all cases, even if no doubt the person 100% guilty. It is barbaric. But, if countries are going to do it, why not do it by a method that is quick and painless.

 

[Bigdog]

To be fair a bullet to the head cost a quid quick and painfull you don’t no your gone ….

 

[CPLforever]

We've a very close friend who is 45 next month, and was diagnosed with brain cancer in May, has deteriorated rapidly to the point she is now at home, on nothing but pain meds and anti-seizure drugs making the most of her last few weeks / months.
She has been provided the home euthanasia option and has the pill waiting in her wardrobe for when she decides the pain is too much and she wants to slide away peacefully and with dignity. It a terribly upsetting situation for everyone to be in, but we fully support her decision as it's her life and her body. Rightly, it is a very difficult process to navigate to get to this point with her oncology doctor having to agree that there is no more treatment, and that she is in sound mind when requesting. Then 2 weeks later they all meet again with another specialist doctor present to go through the same again, then when they are ok, you go to a third appointment (two weeks later again) with two totally independent medical professionals to make the final decision. There's only 2 pharmacies in the whole of Victoria who can dispense the drug, and again collecting it requires a long consult with the head pharmacist to go through the process.

She has it now, but isn't ready for "death day" just yet, but we will and do fully support her when the time comes for her to make her decision.

I personally think it is a very human and humane way of dealing with a problem that can only lead to pain and a horrible and inevitable death, and one I would choose if I'm ever in that situation. But fuck we will miss her.

Oh my heart goes out to your friend especially and all of her friends and family. What you have described though sounds ideal with all proper checks and balances in place for her protection and comfort. Which of course is paramount.

 

[Feed the Monster]

Death penalty - all you need is some inert gas and a mask. Easy peasy. I’d volunteer to do the job on the Huntleys and Adebowale’s of the world in return for my expenses…

On the euthanasia front I hope to god the law has changed if and when I come down with something terminal and excruciating as I’d want to go out on my terms with a little dignity.