[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

The only issue I'd have really is family members who maybe aren't so caring guilting elderly people into doing it so they get inheritance or something like that

Yes this could be an issue, however..I guess this could be an issue even without euthanasia laws. Family could currently guilt relatives into not taking meds that they need...they could guilt rich relatives into committing suicide if they aren't bedridden by that stage.

Such a difficult area. I have obviously been thinking about it a lot over the past 2 days and I don't see an answer that would be perfect, but nothing would ever be perfect. Everything is open to abuse really. Is it worth changing things so 999 people can die with dignity like they want whilst 1 slips through the net who has been guilted into it? Or do we keep 999 people in pain on the off chance that the 1 persons family are horrible people who would do that...

I think possibly the law could say only people with terminal illnesses or at a stage in their illness where the pain and suffering is totally unbearable and very unlikely to get any better. That way even if someone is guilted into it..its still a good thing for the person who will otherwise be in pain? if that makes sense :S