France's government has unveiled a bill that would permit adults with terminal cancer or other incurable illnesses to access lethal medication, responding to increasing public calls for legal options for aid in dying. The proposed measure comes as many French citizens have sought such services in neighboring countries where medically assisted suicide or euthanasia is already legal.
The bill, long-awaited by President Emmanuel Macron, sets out specific criteria for patients to qualify for the option. To be eligible, individuals must be over 18 years old, French citizens, or residents of France. A team of medical professionals would need to confirm that the patient is suffering from a grave and incurable illness, experiencing intolerable and untreatable pain, and is making the decision to seek lethal medication voluntarily.
Patients with severe psychiatric conditions or neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease would not be eligible for the program. If approved, a doctor would provide a prescription for the lethal medication, valid for three months. Patients would have the choice to take the medication at home, in a nursing home, or a healthcare facility. Those unable to self-administer the medication due to their physical condition could receive assistance from a chosen individual, doctor, or nurse.
The bill will now proceed to parliament for further discussion. Health Minister Catherine Vautrin emphasized the importance of respectful dialogue and consideration for the weighty matters of life and death. The government also announced a significant increase in funding, allocating 1.1 billion euros towards palliative and end-of-life care services.
Recent surveys indicate strong support among the French population for legalizing end-of-life options, reflecting a shift in public opinion over the past two decades. While a 2016 law allows doctors to sedate terminally ill patients, the new bill would go further by permitting medically assisted suicide for qualifying individuals.
Medically assisted suicide involves patients voluntarily ingesting prescribed lethal medication, while euthanasia entails healthcare providers administering a lethal injection at the patient's request. Currently, assisted suicide is permitted in Switzerland, Portugal, and select U.S. states, while euthanasia is legal in countries such as the Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Australia, Colombia, Belgium, and Luxembourg under specific conditions.
