Pro
André Picard, The Globe and Mail columnist, in an Apr. 17, 2017 article, "The Mentally Ill Must Be Part of the Assisted-Dying Debate," available at theglobeandmail.com, stated
“Should people with mental illness be denied assisted death? (A similar question needs to be asked about those with dementia.)
The simple, straightforward answer is: Of course not. But there is an important proviso: All people who request assisted death should be competent. What that means, practically, is that they have the ability to distinguish right from wrong, to make decisions rationally…
We should not discriminate or deny people rights because it makes us queasy or because of our prejudices… But we’re not talking about granting assisted death to someone who is delusional, or suffering from psychosis or someone who is depressed and treatable. The suffering has to be persistent and painful, though not necessarily imminently lethal.”
Apr. 17, 2017