Not sure where to put this, and I didn't feel like bumping a seven-year old thread we had that was vaguely related, so here goes...
Belgium minor first to be granted euthanasia
A terminally-ill 17-year-old has become the first minor to be helped to die in Belgium since age restrictions on euthanasia requests were removed two years ago, officials say.
The head of the federal euthanasia commission said the teenager was "suffering unbearable physical pain".
Belgium is the only country that allows minors of any age to choose euthanasia.
They must have rational decision-making capacity and be in the final stages of a terminal illness.
The parents of the under-18 year olds must also give their consent.
Euthanasia commission head Wim Distelmans said the teenager was "nearly 18". He said doctors used "palliative sedation", which involves bringing patients into an induced coma, as part of the process,
(More in the link)
The moral implications here are, of course, mind-blowing, and I'd be curious to see what everyone's take on this is. What I would be most interested in is, what exactly are the arguments against euthanasia in the case of a terminally ill person who only has a limited time of suffering left? And what's the difference if it is made before or after their 18th birthday?
Belgium minor first to be granted euthanasia
A terminally-ill 17-year-old has become the first minor to be helped to die in Belgium since age restrictions on euthanasia requests were removed two years ago, officials say.
The head of the federal euthanasia commission said the teenager was "suffering unbearable physical pain".
Belgium is the only country that allows minors of any age to choose euthanasia.
They must have rational decision-making capacity and be in the final stages of a terminal illness.
The parents of the under-18 year olds must also give their consent.
Euthanasia commission head Wim Distelmans said the teenager was "nearly 18". He said doctors used "palliative sedation", which involves bringing patients into an induced coma, as part of the process,
(More in the link)
The moral implications here are, of course, mind-blowing, and I'd be curious to see what everyone's take on this is. What I would be most interested in is, what exactly are the arguments against euthanasia in the case of a terminally ill person who only has a limited time of suffering left? And what's the difference if it is made before or after their 18th birthday?