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Attitudes Concerning Euthanasia
Australia at the turn of the 21st Century
Joanna Sikora
School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, Australia
Frank Lewins
School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, Australia
Abstract
With rapid developments in life-prolonging technologies and increases in average life expectancy, euthanasia has become an increasingly topical issue.
This paper contributes to the euthanasia debate an analysis of Australian attitudes to assisted suicide, active non-voluntary as well as passive non-voluntary euthanasia. Between 1993 and 2002, Australians supported access to voluntary euthanasia of the terminally ill, but had reservations when death was not imminent. The age of patients was relatively unimportant in these considerations. Non-voluntary euthanasia of babies and adults received widespread approval only when particular situations could be defined as 'letting die' rather than 'killing'.
Keywords
sociology, attitudes to euthanasia – Australia, public opinion – Australia, survey studies of attitudes, assisted suicide, mercy killing
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