OPINION: A fine line in allowing euthanasia

THE euthanasia debate is back to being a hot topic with news it could be allowed in Victoria.

A "proud” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says terminally ill Victorians are closer to getting the dignity they deserve. Picture: JAMES ROSS

THE euthanasia debate is back to being a hot topic with news it could be allowed in Victoria.

There is no doubt that some people face intolerable suffering towards the end of their lives due to illnesses.

Personally, I believe guidelines around any allowance of euthanasia need to be exceptionally tight and fiercely policed.

For example, in Belgium, a healthy, 24-year-old woman with depression was given approval from doctors to end her life.

In her last hour, the woman decided against dying, but there are plenty going through with the life-ending procedure.

In 2015, 56 people in the Netherlands ended their lives by euthanasia due to depression.

Euthanasia, if allowed, must be introduced as a last resort for those in severe agony, but where is the line drawn?

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