France's "right to die" law
http://www.100md.com
《英国医生杂志》
EDITOR—The question of "right" v "responsibility" to die raised by Maio is only enhanced by the current emphasis on reducing future healthcare costs for a group through societal pressures to alter behaviour.1
When people refuse to change their ways after being told of the individual risks incurred by their current status—being over-weight, smoking, etc—the next step is to create a public backlash against the behaviour, based on the presumed damage to the public good. "Fat people cost us x dollars extra per year."
One wonders how long it will be before there will be a public backlash against keeping various groups of ill people alive, on the basis of how much it costs society.
Joan T McClusky, medical writer
New York, NY 10003, USA jmcclusky.icon@medimedia.com
Competing interests: None declared.
References
Spurgeon B. France passes "right to die" law. BMJ 2004;329: 1307. (4 December.)
When people refuse to change their ways after being told of the individual risks incurred by their current status—being over-weight, smoking, etc—the next step is to create a public backlash against the behaviour, based on the presumed damage to the public good. "Fat people cost us x dollars extra per year."
One wonders how long it will be before there will be a public backlash against keeping various groups of ill people alive, on the basis of how much it costs society.
Joan T McClusky, medical writer
New York, NY 10003, USA jmcclusky.icon@medimedia.com
Competing interests: None declared.
References
Spurgeon B. France passes "right to die" law. BMJ 2004;329: 1307. (4 December.)