Should pensioners be given the option of death? (Discuss)

Everyone already has the option of death - suicide is legal.

But assisted suicide isn't.

This is an issue because how can you kill yourself without help from doctors in a way that you can make sure is painless? It's very difficult, and leads to botched suicides which can be horrible.

This is why many argue that certain individuals, usually those with a terminal illness with <6 months to live, should be able to choose when to die, with a doctor's help. However, this is currently illegal in the UK.

After a certain age, should the option of a painless and quiet passing be given to patients? If the given person believes that they cannot contribute to society, have no grandchildren they want to help or just want to give a larger inheritance to their children, should they be given the option of a painless and quiet death in their sleep?

Discuss.

Very good point. Suicides as of now are extremely messy. Often they aren't successful, and use painful methods such as bleeding out, hanging or overdose. A simple, cheap and painless injection administered by medical professionals is better for everybody in my opinion.

There's also the issue where paralysed individuals, such as in the famous case of Tony Nicklinson, physically cannot kill themselves (other than by starving themselves to death). In extreme cases, such individuals lose all ability to communicate, so that raises the issue of consent (ergo, can such individuals consent to assisted suicide?).

Unfortunately, in the famous case of Nicklinson, the SC declined to change the law on assisted suicide (or in fact issue an Article 4 declaration of incompatibility between s.2(1) of the Suicide Act 1967 and Article 8 of the ECHR), and instead referred the issue to Parliament. Recently there was a bill that proposed decriminalising assisted suicide (Lord Falconer's Assisted Suicide Bill), however, this was rejected by MPs in the HoC 330-118, so the prospects for a change in the law are bleak.

My worry with if pensioners did have the option of death is that they might be pressured into it, and with the option, they might feel that it's their only option and that by getting old they are a burden to society or their family, some members of which may pressure them into it for the sake of inheritance. If it was legalised for pensioners to have assisted suicide then it's almost normalising it for no real reason. It's different of course if they have a serious or terminal illness, but if they are just a typical pensioner, no serious health concerns, then more should be done to promote their well-being to lead a great retirement and if they have no family then they should be given the option of support, not the option of death.

I think the first case was rejected because of political climate. It was the 1960s. It's unlikely to have worked in that time. A more recent debate might still be denied because of taboo, but I think that if the public shows support for it, MP's can actually debate it in the HoC without fear of being judged as immoral by the public.

I agree with the poster who said that some older people might be/feel pressured into it if they are a 'burden'. Really what we need is for elderly people to have appropriate levels of support and activity so they can be fulfilled and still involved in society as much as possible.

I agree with the poster who said that some older people might be/feel pressured into it if they are a 'burden'. Really what we need is for elderly people to have appropriate levels of support and activity so they can be fulfilled and still involved in society as much as possible.

No what is wrong with you guys. It is immoral and wrong, in my opinion.

No what is wrong with you guys. It is immoral and wrong, in my opinion.