Public opinion
For over four decades a majority of Australians have believed there should be a legal option of aid-in-dying for those suffering intolerably and without relief near the end of life (Morgan and Newspoll). Current support is 85% of Australians including three out of four Catholics, four out of five Anglicans, and nine out of ten Australians with no religion.
Medical opinion and practice
There is ample research evidence showing that many doctors favour choice in voluntary euthanasia, arguably more than oppose it.
1. | Kuhse and Singer surveyed 869 Victorian Doctors (1988):
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2. | Baume and O’Malley surveyed 1268 NSW doctors (1994):
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3. | Stevens and Hassan surveyed 298 SA doctors (1994):
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4. | The RACGP surveyed 886 members (1996):
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5. | Steinberg et alsurveyed 259 Queensland doctors (1997):
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6. | Kuhse et alsurveyed 1918 Australian doctors about end-of-life decisions (comparable to the Dutch Remmelink studies) (1997):
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7. | Douglas et al surveyed 683 Australian general surgeons (2001):
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8. | Neil et alsurveyed 854 Victorian doctors (2007):
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References:
- Kuhse H., Singer P., Doctors’ practises and attitudes regarding voluntary euthanasia, Med. J. Aust., 1988, 148: 623-627.
- Baume P., O’Malley E., Euthanasia; attitudes and practises of medical practitioners, Med. J. Aust., 1994; 161: 137-144.
- Stevens C..A, Hassan R., Management of death, dying and euthanasia; attitudes and practices of medical practitioners in South Australia. J. Medical Ethics, 1994; 20: 41-46.
- Wilson I., Kay B., Steven I., General practitioners and euthanasia. Aust. Fam. Phys., 1997; 26: 399-401.
- Steinberg M.A., Najman J.M., Cartwright C.M., MacDonald S.M., Williams G.M., End-of-life decision making: community and medical practitioners’ perspectives. Med. J. Aust., 1997; 166: 131-134.
- Kuhse H., Singer P., Baume P., Clark M., Rickard M., End-of-life decisions in Australian medical practise, Med. J. Aust., 1997; 166: 191-196.
- Douglas C., Kerridge I., Rainbird K., McPhee J., Hancock L., Spigelman A., The intention to hasten death: a survey of attitudes and practices of surgeons in Australia, Med. J. Aust., 2001; 175: 511-515.
- Neil D.A., Coady C.A.J., Thompson J., and Kuhse H., End-of-life decisions in medical practice: a survey of doctors in Victoria (Australia) J. Medical Ethics, 2007; 33: 721-725.