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“Alain Delon Wants To Euthanize”, “Delon Asks For Assisted Suicide”, “Delon Asked His Son To Begin Euthanasia” – In March, such headlines circulated the world. Fabien Delon accuses the media of taking the statement out of context, and he promised his father to accept his euthanasia “when the time comes”. This incident sparked discussions on the issue of euthanasia. We remind you what it is, which countries have decided to legalize it and what the issue looks like in Poland.
- In March, some media outlets announced that 86-year-old Alain Delon, one of the greatest actors of European cinema in the 60s, “no longer wants to live and has asked for assisted suicide.” The son accuses the media of taking the words out of context
- “The main difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide is who carries out the final, deadly act,” explained medical ethics professor Richard Huxtable a few years ago in The Guardian
- Assisted suicide consists in helping someone to take their own life at their request, the “final act” is performed by the person himself
- Euthanasia refers to active actions taken to end someone’s life and stop his suffering, the “last act” is done by someone else, such as a doctor
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
“Alain Delon is planning euthanasia”. The actor’s son denies
In March, some media outlets announced that 86-year-old Alain Delon, one of the greatest actors of European cinema in the 60s, “no longer wants to live and has asked for assisted suicide.” Such a conclusion was made after the words of the actor’s son, Anthony Delon, who in an interview with the RTL channel said that his father asked him for help in assisted suicide and agreed to be by his side in the last moments.
As reported by French «Huffington Post », the second son of actor Alain-Fabien Delon, denies that his father wants to die and accuses the media of taking his brother’s words out of context. «I don’t usually do this, but it gets out of hand. More than two weeks have passed since I read that my father will end his life thanks to euthanasia »- he wrote on social media. “It’s fucking false.” «There is a huge difference between» Son, if I am in a coma for life, I want you to separate me «(…) and yours:» I want euthanasia and I have said goodbye to my family «.
Previously, Alain Delon, who suffered a double stroke in 2019, officially admitted to be in favor of euthanasia. «Euthanasia is the most logical and natural thing to do. (…) we have the right to leave this world peacefully without the support of a hospital or life-support devices “, he told the Swiss weekly L’Ilustré in 2021, and said that if he was diagnosed with an incurable disease, he would be willing to turn to Exit (Swiss organization dealing with helping people who want to undergo the so-called assisted suicide). The term “assisted suicide” has already been mentioned several times. What is it and what does it have to do with euthanasia?
Further part below the video.
What is euthanasia and assisted suicide?
Euthanasia has always aroused controversy and great emotions. It is based on the belief that in a civilized society people should be able to choose when they want to die and should receive help if they are not able to end life themselves (opponents of euthanasia emphasize that life is given by God and only God can decide about his life. finished). It is a very general concept. How does the definition of “assisted suicide” fit in?
“The main difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide is who carries out the final, deadly act,” Richard Huxtable, professor of medical ethics and law at the University of Bristol, explained a few years ago in The Guardian. Euthanasia, therefore, refers to the active steps taken to end someone’s life and stop his suffering, the “last act” is done by someone else, such as a doctor.
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Assisted suicide, on the other hand, is about helping someone to take their own life (at their explicit request). In other words, he performs the “final act” himself, eg by taking medications himself. Help includes, among others on the delivery of a medical agent (it requires a prescription from a doctor, and obtaining it is preceded by an appropriate procedure that takes up to several months). People who decide to take this step must be aware of the actions they are taking, be sure that they have properly considered their situation and want to end their lives, and that they make decisions on their own, without being influenced by other people.
Assisted suicide and euthanasia. What is the medical procedure?
In the case of assisted suicide, in most cases, patients drink a sedative which, in sufficiently strong doses, causes the heart muscle to stop working.
In general, the medical procedure for euthanasia depends on the type of euthanasia. We distinguish between passive and active euthanasia. The first case is when life support treatment is stopped. The patient is then in such a serious condition that stopping treatment will lead to his death, and any other form of treatment will not improve or cure him. In this case, the patient’s death is accelerated because the doctors cease to act to support the patient’s life. However, a distinction must be made between the concept of euthanasia and consent to discontinue treatment. It all depends on the intention to stop treatment, which may be to kill or restore the natural dying process.
Active euthanasia it aims to act deliberately, which the doctor takes at the patient’s request. A physician who sympathizes with the patient, implements actions leading to his death, if the patient does not die earlier of natural causes. The doctor gives the patient the means that cause his death, gives him a lethal dose of drugs that the patient takes alone or gives an injection, after which the patient does not wake up. However, there must be circumstances in which the patient’s consent to euthanasia is valid.
Assisted suicide and euthanasia. In which countries are they legal? The situation in Poland
Among the places where people may choose to end their lives by assisted suicide are Switzerland, Japan, and some US states, including California and Colorado. The circumstances in which this form of death is permitted vary from country to country. In Switzerland, assisted suicide is illegal if it is committed for selfish reasons. Euthanasia is not legal in Switzerland.
Euthanasia is allowed in seven countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, the Netherlands and Colombia (conditions vary by country).
In Poland, euthanasia is a crime. According to art. 150 of the Penal Code: “Whoever kills a man at his request and out of sympathy for him, is subject to imprisonment from 3 months to 5 years”. The Code stipulates, however, that “in exceptional cases, the court may apply extraordinary mitigation of punishment, and even withdraw from its imposition”.
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