Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide, and Suicide Rates in Europe (Journal of Ethics in Mental Health)
Read full articleRecently, the Journal of Ethics in Mental Health (JEMH) published an article by the Anscombe Centre’s Director, David Albert Jones, which shows, contrary to some claims that introducing euthanasia and assisted suicide (EAS) would reduce suicides, that there is no evidence that this is the case, but that European data shows that in countries that have introduced voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide into law and medical practice:
• No reduction exists in non-assisted suicide relative to the most similar neighbouring non-EAS country;
• EAS is followed by considerable increases in suicide (inclusive of assisted suicide and euthanasia);
• In some EAS countries, there is a relative and/or an absolute increase in non-assisted suicide;
• Data from both Europe and from the U.S. indicate that women have been placed most at risk of avoidable premature death by EAS.
This evidence suggests that so far from the introduction of EAS reducing suicides, it is actually associated with greater incidence of premature death (particularly amongst women), raising raise serious and concerning questions about the effect of assisted suicide and euthanasia on society’s commitment to and strategy for suicide prevention.
See our full Press Release about this important new contribution to the debate surrounding EAS on our website here.
Most recent
Embryo Research
A Briefing on the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA) consultation, ‘Modernising the regulation of fertility treatment and research involving human embryos’
27 March 2023
Our Briefing on the March-April 2023 HFEA consultation into the potential revision of Human Fertilis...
Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide (EAS)
Anscombe Centre Submission to Isle of Man Consultation on Private Member’s Bill for Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide (EAS)
25 January 2023
From 01 December 2022 to 26 January 2023, a Consultation was held on a Private Member’s Bill introdu...
Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide (EAS)
Anscombe Centre Submission to Government of Jersey Consultation on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide (EAS)
16 January 2023
From 17 October 2022 to 14 January 2023, the Government of Jersey held a consultation on proposals t...
Support Us
The Anscombe Bioethics Centre is supported by the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, but has also always relied on donations from generous individuals, friends and benefactors.