Euthanasia okay, according to most of Slovaks

NEARLY 59 percent of people in Slovakia think it is important to deal with the issue of euthanasia, according to a survey carried out by Focus agency on behalf of the liberal Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party.

NEARLY 59 percent of people in Slovakia think it is important to deal with the issue of euthanasia, according to a survey carried out by Focus agency on behalf of the liberal Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party.

“The fact that this problem has not been discussed doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist,” Deputy Chairman of SaS Jana Kiššová said on September 4, as quoted by the SITA newswire. “We consider the impossibility of a choice on this question to be [avoiding responsibility] and a state-enforced obligation to bear undesired suffering.”

The survey was carried out on a sample of 1,051 respondents older than 18 between July 22-29 and is in line with an SaS initiative to begin a public debate on euthanasia in Slovakia, the TASR newswire reported.

The poll further showed that as many as 55.9 percent of the respondents would agree to allow a seriously ill person to end with the assistance of medical personnel, according to TASR.

In terms of the religious affiliation of the respondents, 47 percent of those who consider themselves to be firm Catholics stated that the topic of euthanasia needs to be addressed in Slovakia. This opinion was shared by 61 percent of less committed Catholics, 52 percent of non-religious individuals, 66 percent of atheists and 57 percent of agnostics.

When it came to the right to choose euthanasia, 33 percent of committed Catholics, 55 percent of more casual believers, 69 percent of non-religious individuals, 72 percent of atheists and 57 percent of agnostics thought that this should be allowed, TASR reported.

“It turned out that many believers support the idea of euthanasia as ending of unbearable suffering,” Kiššová said, as quoted by SITA.

(Source: TASR, SITA)

Compiled by Roman Cuprik from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.

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