We support patient autonomy and work to protect patients from the imposition of other people's personal religious views.
There is widespread support amongst the public for a compassionate law that permits assisted dying under certain circumstances.
But religious lobbying exerts a disproportionate influence on the debate on assisted dying, frustrating much-needed reform.
Assisted dying (AD) is when a person chooses to be given help to die, usually because they are terminally ill and suffering unbearably.
AD is legal in a growing number of countries around the world. In all these jurisdictions there are strict guidelines and safeguards to ensure AD is not misused. Where AD is an option, it complements palliative care rather than replacing it.
AD is not explicitly legal anywhere in the UK. Terminally ill people who wish to end their suffering more quickly have very few options.
Travelling to a country where their death can be assisted legally isn't a viable option for most, due to the high expense and the difficulties in travelling with a terminal illness. What's more, friends and relatives who accompany or help someone travel abroad for AD may be prosecuted.
Terminally ill people in the UK may therefore resort to taking their own life, leading to botched suicides, or asking the help of loved ones. This puts friends and relatives in a horrendous position: either they must watch their loved one suffer, or they must help them die and risk jail in the process.
The largest poll ever conducted on assisted dying found 84% of people in Britain support a change in the law. This includes 82% of Christians and 90% of nonreligious people.
Many regard refusing people a final relief from unbearable suffering as a harmful act. But strong opposition to AD comes from religious leaders who think AD goes against the will of their gods.
We support the democratic right of all people to contribute to the debate on AD. But policy decisions should be guided by evidence, compassion and respect for the principle of patient autonomy, rather than religious dogma. The views of the general public, professionals and relevant organisations should be fairly reflected at policy level.
Within the National Secular Society, individual members hold a range of views about AD. All are agreed that religious privilege should have no place in the decision-making process.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Ask your MP to support properly regulated assisted dying.
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
3. Join the National Secular Society
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Vermont approves doctor-assisted suicide
Posted: Wed, 22 May 2013 13:59
The Governor of Vermont this week signed into law a new bill legalising doctor-assisted suicide. This makes it the third US state to approve such legislation.
At the same time, a new YouGov poll for the Huffington Post shows that legislation similar to the Vermont measure would be supported by 50% of Americans.
Vermont– a mostly rural state in New England, which has a tradition of liberality and progressive thinking (it was the first to permit same-sex marriage) - follows the states of Oregon and Washington in legalising assisted suicide. It is the first time assisted suicide has been brought in through legislation rather than through voter demand through a referendum.
Under the Vermont law, terminally ill patients who are given no more than six months to live can ask their doctors to prescribe a lethal dose of drugs to hasten their death.
Several safeguards are built into the law. These include a requirement for two medical opinions, the option of a psychiatric examination and a 17-day waiting period before a life-ending prescription can be filled.
A Pew Research Center poll found that 84% of Americans support allowing a terminally ill adult patient to decide if they want to be kept alive.
Most Europeans favour legalising assisted dying
Posted: Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:09
The Swiss Medical Lawyers Association has conducted a Europe-wide poll to discover attitudes to assisted dying. The results show that there is widespread and strong support for legalising it.
In almost all the 12 countries included in the poll, three-quarters or more of the respondents said people would be able to decide how and when they die.
Two-thirds to three-quarters said they could imagine opting for assisted suicide themselves if they suffered from an incurable illness or uncontrollable pain.
The countries polled were Austria, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. The four countries that have already legalised assisted dying — Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland — were not polled.
Germany and France are currently debating the issue. In Germany — where 87% of those polled supported the idea — there is a proposal to legislate in favour with the proviso that no profit should be involved.
Greece scored the least support at 52 per cent. Britain had a 71 per cent majority in favour of some sort of legislation. More than three-quarters throughout Europe said the procedure should only be carried out by doctors – and should not lose their licence if they helped someone to die.
The Swiss Medical Lawyers Association commented: "In practically all European countries, many signs indicate that the prevailing legal system no long reflects the will of large parts of the population on this issue."
