There have been a number of surveys and polls about euthanasia in New Zealand. The overwhelming majority show a significant support for some form of euthanasia. A Massey university poll in 2002 showed more than 70% of those polled supported assisted suicide. The question was as follows:
“Suppose a person has a painful incurable disease. Do you think that doctors should be allowed by law to end the patient’s life if the patient requests it?”
Of the 1000 surveyed, 73% said yes, 17% no, and 10% don’t know.[i] A Massey poll in 2008 with the same question produced similar results. A Colmar Brunton Poll in 2008 asking if people would like to have the legal right to choose a medically assisted death, showed that 71% would want this option, with 20% saying no.[ii] These surveys, and others, show the public support of euthanasia, reinforcing the need for legalization. There is also evidence from a survey in the Waikato that doctors already practise some form of euthanasia. A University of Waikato survey asked 125 Waikato doctors, and found 17 admitted helping a patient to die and 35 had been asked to assist someone to die. It was further revealed that 54 of the doctors said they would practise euthanasia if it were made legal.[iii]
Evidence shows that doctors and the public have, and will continue to perform euthanasia when they feel it is needed. It is therefore important that we legalise euthanasia so the process can be transparent and a firm set of rules and regulations can be set in place. Like the legalisation of abortion, and in recent times prostitution, euthanasia needs to be legalised because it will continue to happen whether it is made legal or not. The legalisation of euthanasia will allow for safe guards to be put in place, like that seen in the Netherlands, where doctors are accountable for their actions and have to follow strict guidelines. The legalization of prostitution has shown that those in the industry are now a lot safer as they do not need to hide behind a vale of lies about their profession.
[i] Stephen Gray, Massey survey shows support for euthanasia, (January 2003) found at http://www.massey.ac.nz/~wwpubafs/2003/press_releases/30_01_03a.html [accessed October 17, 2010].
[ii] “Voluntary Euthanasia Society”, Poll Results, found at http://www.ves.org.nz/polls.php [accessed October 18, 2010].
[iii] Parliamentary Library, Voluntary Euthanasia and New Zealand, (September 22, 2003) HTTP [online]: www.parliament.nz/NR/…/0307VoluntaryEuthanasia1.pdf [accessed September 29, 2010].
The following is a summary of polls carried out in New Zealand.
- August and December 2008. Massey University Department of Marketing mail survey of 1000 New Zealanders. The survey sampled respondents from the Electoral Roll. The questions asked were:Suppose a person has a painful incurable disease. Do you think that doctors should be allowed by law to end the patient’s life if the patient requests it?
Yes 70%
No 17%
Don’t Know 13%Still thinking of that person with a painful incurable disease. Do you think that someone else, like a close relative, should be allowed by law to help end the patient’s life, if the patient requests it?
Yes 52%
No 33%
Don’t Know 15% - August and September 2008. Colmar Brunton Poll of over 2,000 New Zealanders aged 15 years and over.The question asked was:
“In some countries, though not all, if you have an illness that results in your being unable to have an acceptable quality of life, you are legally allowed to get help from a doctor to help you to die. If you had an illness or condition which resulted in your having a quality of life that was totally unacceptable to you, would you like to have the legal right to choose a medically assisted death?”
Yes 71%
No 20%
Don’t know 9%
- August and September 2002. Massey University Department of Marketing mail survey of 1000 New Zealanders.
Suppose a person has a painful incurable disease. Do you think that doctors should be allowed by law to end the patient’s life if the patient requests it?
Yes 73%
No 17%
Don’t Know 10%Still thinking of that person with a painful incurable disease. Do you think that someone else, like a close relative, should be allowed by law to help end the patient’s life, if the patient requests it?
Yes 49%
No 38%
Don’t Know 13%
- Dec 2000 NZ Herald Digipoll.
61% support the legalisation of euthanasia, ..
27% opposed legalising mercy killing.
Note: this poll does not include the word voluntary.
- April 1992: Morgan Gallup Poll (NZ section)
Same questions as July 1991
Q1 69% yes, 18% NO
Q2 73% yes, 17% NO
- July 1991 Morgan Gallup Poll (NZ section)
Q1 If there is absolutely no chance of a patient recovering, should the doctor let the patient die – or should the doctor try to keep the patient alive as long as possible.
66% yes
21% No
Q2 If a hopelessly ill patient is in great pain with absolutely no chance of recovering asks for a lethatl dose so as not to wake again, should a doctor be allowed to give a legal dose or not?
72% yes
21%No
- June 1989: Frontline TV program
From a newspaper report,
74% agreed that an adult with an incurable illness should have the right to receive medical help to end his or her life., and 19% disagreed.
- May 1988 Heylen
Q: ..allow adults suffering from a painful and incurable illness to receive medical help to end their lives, if they have earlier asked for it in writing..
Agree 62.8%
Disagree 18.3%
- May 1982 Heylen
Q: … that a terminally ill adult in great pain or distress should be allowed to ask for medication to end their life?
71.2% Yes
22.2% No