The End of Life Choice Act Referendum September 2020

[Dr Mary Panko, President of the End-of-Life Choice Society]

How are you going to vote?

Most people involved in tertiary education don’t give a passing thought to their own dying and death. Why would they? If the idea does pop up, most will dismiss it as morbid or gloomy. When you are young, hopefully you will be lucky enough to see your life stretching ahead into some endless future. There are other things to think about: relationships, exams, money, exams… The list goes on.

But there are others who have no such luxury, because they are dying of a terminal illness. They may be old; they may be young; they are certainly not seeking death. Most are wanting to live, no matter how much they are suffering. For a percentage, there will come a day when all the treatments have been used — the chemo, the radiation, the surgery — and there is nothing left but a world of suffering. The medical profession has done its best — kept the person alive, given them hope and the opportunity to extend precious time with their families.

Now, in those last days or weeks of life, this option has run out. Their world has closed down to nausea, vomiting faeces or drowning in their own lung fluid. The family watch — horrified, unable to do anything to help, and this horror is embedded into their memories for the rest of their lives, overwhelming all other images. A terrible death such as this lies in wait for about 6% of people. That means approximately 2,000 people each year die in New Zealand in this appalling manner.

While palliative care can do so much, it cannot prevent all suffering. The only alternative at the moment is to terminally sedate people during their last 2 – 3 weeks of life so that they die from starvation and dehydration, but hopefully don’t know what’s happening to them. Why should a slow and druggedup death be morally okay, but providing a peaceful and conscious time to say goodbye be unacceptable?

Now, with the passing of the End of Life Choice Act, we can see a peaceful alternative for the terminally ill who CHOOSE to ask for help. Of course, there are people who feel this is not the right course, so for them, the answer is straightforward — do not apply for medically assisted dying. But for others, this can be the compassionate choice.

Before the day comes to vote in the Referendum, if you are not sure about all the details or whether there are some hooks hiding in the small print, go to the referendum website referendums.govt.nz/endoflifechoice and then make an informed decision.

Who would be eligible for assisted dying?

The End of Life Choice Act 2019 states that to be able to ask for assisted dying, a person must meet ALL the following criteria. They must:

• be aged 18 years or over

• be a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand

• suffer from a terminal illness that's likely to end their life within 6 months

• have significant and ongoing decline in physical capability

• experience unbearable suffering that can't be eased

• be able to make an informed decision about assisted dying

A person would not be eligible to ask for assisted dying if the only reason they give is that they are suffering from a mental disorder or mental illness, or have a disability of any kind, or are of advanced age.

If you feel undecided, let those who are terminally ill and suffering make their own decision.

Support Choice at the End of Life — Vote YES on 19th September!