WHO ARE THE REAL SCAREMONGERS?
The fear of future pain and suffering is often cited as the main reason why people might wish for euthanasia or assisted suicide. Pro-death campaigners rely on this argument and emphasise it, presenting a false choice, either an unpleasant death or an assisted suicide. Given those hypothetical options in partisan polls, it’s hardly surprising that the euthanasia lobby can generate ‘favourable’ results. But when people are presented with the arguments against euthanasia, support for changing the law falls rapidly.

It is wrong that people have been presented with this binary choice. Are these the only two options for future generations of Scots? Are human beings not of infinitely more value and deserving of better treatment than a sick cat or dog?

There is another option. When patients are cared for properly, they seldom want to end their lives. Good quality palliative care is effective in relieving symptoms and helping people to live comfortable lives as death approaches whilst affirming their inherent dignity. As a country, we should support people to live, caring for them right up to the point of death.

Yet palliative medicine is chronically under-funded in the UK. Many hospices are charities, relying on donations from the public. Only 0.21% of non-commercial health-related research funding is spent on palliative care research (2018 figs), yet 80% of all people would benefit from some form of it when they die. Too many people are dying in Scotland (Marie Cure estimate it is 25%) without receiving the palliative care they need.

Palliative care is the right solution, and it needs to be properly resourced. Please support proper funding for palliative care and oppose assisted suicide and euthanasia. We need to improve how we care for people, not kill them.