Anti-euthanasia Campaign 'Scaremongering'

Tasmania: Anti-euthanasia campaign 'scaremongering', July 13, 2010.

Tasmania's Dying with Dignity group has accused an anti-euthanasia advocate of scaremongering about the impacts of legalising assisted suicide.

U.S. campaigner Wesley Smith has warned legislation allowing voluntary euthanasia will lead to increasing numbers of people being eligible for assisted suicide, including those who are not terminally ill.

Attorney-general Lara Giddings is helping with the development of a private member's bill to legalise voluntary euthanasia.

The President of Dying with Dignity, Margaret Sing, says legislators will be able to control who can access voluntary euthanasia services.

"It's very insulting to our legislators to suggest that they are not capable of looking at what's in front of them and making a decision about it whenever there is a bill before them," she said.

Ms Giddings has also rejected the claim, telling ABC 2's Breakfast News the bill would only be for those who are terminally ill.

"Anti-euthanasia advocates are saying this is a thin edge of the wedge, that this is about people who

have been divorced, are depressed who'll be able to end their life," she said.

"That's not so at all. What you want to have is a safe, regulated, legal and medical framework in which these decisions can be made by those who are suffering."

Mr Smith addressed a meeting of about 25 people in Hobart last night.

He told of a case in Belgium where a woman asked to be euthanised, saying she would then donate her organs after death.

He said organ donation could be an incentive for people to have assisted suicide.

"There is a tremendous organ shortage in most countries and if people begin to look at assisted suicide as having a societal benefit, i.e. an organ donor to alleviate the shortage, I think we could move down a path that could be very destructive," he said.

Mr Smith was brought to Tasmania by Right to Life Australia.

From ABC News