A controversial bill pending in Scotland has opponents fearing it will turn the country into a death tourism destination, according to Tourism Review.
The “End of Life Assistance Bill” is aimed to allowing the terminally ill and permanently physically incapacitated to seek help in ending their lives.
The bill has started a “heated discussion” in Scotland.
Some groups are "convinced that allowing assisted suicide will result in people from all over the world to ‘flock’ in Scotland to end their lives,” says the Review.
The bill proposes that each patient willing to end their life has to be registered with a local medical practice for at least 18 months before applying for help.
As set out in the bill, someone would have to make two requests in writing to have help ending their life and after each one would need to be assessed by a psychiatrist.
Opponents object to the time period to make the second request, which is between 15 and 30 days.
One person said:
“You usually have 31 days to change your mind about returning a sofa and surely this is a more important decision. It also takes years to convince the NHS you need a sex change.”
By David Wilkening
