DEATH WITH DIGNITY

Assisted Suicide Law Goes Into Effect in Austria

The practice will still be very restrictive, with a patient having to be either terminally ill or have a permanent, chronic condition to have access to the measure.

Austrians are now legally allowed to seek assisted suicide after a new law went into effect on Saturday. The practice will still be very restrictive, with a patient having to be either terminally ill or have a permanent, chronic condition to have access to the measure. They will also have to consult with two doctors about their case. Depending on their condition, patients must wait between two and 12 weeks to reflect on their decision before they are allowed to access lethal drugs from a pharmacy. Under the new law, which was passed in December, it will still be illegal for a person to actively assist in someone else’s suicide, and minors and people suffering from mental health issues will not have access to this option. Austria is now among several European countries that have legalized forms of assisted dying, including Spain, France, and Switzerland. Canada also expanded its law on the practice under certain circumstances, and in the U.S., several states have death with dignity statutes that permit doctor-assisted deaths for patients who are terminally ill.