U Alberta study:
An overwhelming majority of Albertans believe dying adults should have the right to request to end their life, according to new research from the University of Alberta.
U of A researcher Donna Wilson led the team that studied the views of 1,203 Albertans on assisted suicide, currently illegal in Canada. A majority—77.4 per cent—felt dying adults should have the right to end their life early.
“Increasingly, there are countries or states where they are allowing assisted suicide or euthanasia. Like many of those countries, Canada will have to grapple with this question,” said Wilson, a professor and Caritas Nurse Scientist in the Faculty of Nursing. “Until this point, nobody has asked the public, and that’s a very important perspective.”
Wilson, an expert in aging and end-of-life care, used data gathered in a 2010 health-care survey by the U of A’s Population Research Laboratory. When asked, “Should dying adults be able to request and get help from others to end their life early?” a total of 36.8 per cent of respondents answered yes outright.
Another 40.6 per cent of respondents indicated yes, but with the qualification that assisted suicide “should only be allowed in certain cases or situations.” The remaining 22.6 per cent answered no.
The results showing support, Wilson said, far exceeded her expectations and buck the province’s reputation as a society holding traditional, conservative views.
“You have these preconceived images of Albertans, but Alberta is a very young province—the youngest in Canada—and we really value autonomy and indepe
Categories: Americas, Canada, Euthanasia, Research, Survival