“Notice of Leave to Appeal” to the Supreme Court of South Africa against the whole of the judgement handed down by Judge Fabricius on the 4th of May 2015. Doctors For Life International will be part of this appeal as a “Friend of the Court” Judge Fabricius got it wrong in finding that the South African Law Reform Commission’s 1998 report on Euthanasia and the preservation of life recommended that voluntary active euthanasia be introduced into South Africa, subject to certain safeguards. The report in question actually recommended that; “There be no change to the current law in SA prohibiting active voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide and that such approach was predicated on the Law Commission’s acute awareness of the array of competing interests and the diverse social, moral and ethical values involved regarding law reform on the issue of active voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide.” “The arguments in favor of legalizing voluntary euthanasia as insufficient reason to weaken society’s prohibition of intentional killing as entrenched in section 11 of the Constitution which is considered to be the cornerstone of the law and of social relationships.” In almost all cases palliative medical treatment is available and it improves the terminally ill patients’ condition for a prolonged period of time. With modern medicine, including high doses of opioid drugs, less than 10{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of patients similarly placed as Mr Stansham-Ford die of pain. Hospice doctors and staff specializing in symptom control of terminal patients can be provided at the home in the vast majority of cases. The result is that a terminally ill patient’s quality of life can be vastly improved and as such, they could spend the last days of their life under quality medical care, surrounded by loved ones at home if they so choose. It is not “our right to die”. Dying is inevitable; it is the natural end of life. We are all born and we all die. No person or doctor should be given the power to decide when a person dies. It is our right and the doctor’s duty to make sure that terminally ill patients suffer as little as possible through using specialized pain treatment. And it is the family’s responsibility to support their kin with their love and care.]]>
Publisher
NEWS LETTER
OUR LEGAL CORNER:
Pornography case:
We rejoice that the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein has rejected ODM (TopTV)’s application for leave to appeal. We are informed that ODM has decided not to challenge on the courts decision in the Constitutional court. The result is that they have ceased broadcasting pornography. We are waiting in anticipation to see whether ODM, which is under judicial management due to trading at a loss in the past year, will re-apply to ICASA for a licence to broadcast “adult material”. If they do, we are prepared this time and know what the court requires to oppose an application for such a licence.
Euthanasia case:
We are saddened that the judge so easily and quickly (within a few days of the application made by Mr Stansham-Ford) granted him the relief sought for; i.e. that he may by assisted in his suicide by a medical doctor, even though the applicant died of a natural death the day before the court gave its decision. This has now created an unfortunate and dangerous precedent in law and DFL as well as the National Prosecuting Authority will be challenging this decision, either in the Supreme Court of Appeal, but more than likely in the Constitutional Court, as constitutional issues (especially the right to human dignity, which the applicant relied on) will be adjudicated upon and its proper context argued and examined.
The pornography dilemma
Research done by Ms Antoinette Basson (BMR Research Consultant and Psychologist) at the Youth Research Flagship Program of the College of Economic and Management Sciences (CEMS), hosted by the Bureau of Market Research (BMR), showed alarming facts about the escalation of child pornography in South Africa.
Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with incarcerated sex offenders who had committed a sexual offence against a child (any person under the age of 18 years) and who had reported exposure to pornographic material prior to the offence. The study was extended to correctional centers located in three major metropolitan areas within South Africa, namely Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
The following key research findings emerging from the analysis are presented below:
- Pornographic material has become easily accessible mainly due to the development of technology, more specifically the Internet and cellular telephones.
- Participants displayed commonalities with regard to certain personality traits, dysfunctional family environments and abuse.
- The participants experienced emotional, physical and sexual abuse of which the latter was the most prominent.
- Participants were initially exposed to pornographic material at a young age through their peers or family members.
- Participants developed a preoccupation with pornography and progression in their viewing behavior.
- The effect of pornographic material on human behavior involves a complex combination of physical, cognitive, emotive and behavioral aspects.
- The participants emphasized that they became addicted to pornographic material and could not control the effects of pornographic material on them as individuals.
- The viewing of pornographic material over time had various consequences related to their personal lives and criminal behavior.
- Almost all participants were adamant that the viewing of pornography motivated them to commit sexual offences involving children due to the effect of exposure to sexually explicit images.
- Participants expressed concern with regard to their release back into society and fear of re-committing, especially due to the easy availability of pornographic material.
Aid to Africa (A2A) Outreaches 2014-2015
There are a few outreaches in the pipeline. We will report on them in the next newsletter.
LifePlace
The LifePlace team is still regularly going on outreaches to speak to prostitutes in an attempt to reach out to them. Sometimes we go out twice a week. We have about 4 ladies who have been with us for a while and going from strength to strength. One of them who was bed ridden is now moving about freely. We and are encouraged by their progress and continue reaching out to these ladies who for the most part, have only known what it means to be used and abused. It has also been on our hearts to start teaching them how to work with a sewing machine as an alternative means of generating an income, as there is so much one can do with a sewing machine. These are exciting times and we would like to thank everyone who has had a part in helping the LifePlace ladies escape a life of slavery.
Devotion
Hab 3:17, 18: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
The Christian worldview is inherently positive. No matter how deep a person may have fallen into sin, in Christ there is hope for forgiveness. Even though man might have given up on someone, and society marked certain people as not being rehabilitatable, through Christ, there is always hope.
In Habakkuk we read about circumstances that had become so bad that some may argue that the prophet’s quality of life had become too unbearable to make his life worth living. Yet, Habakkuk finds reason to rejoice.
There is an element of submission while keeping the hope that God’s Word offers; a trusting in Him for healing if it is His will. On the other hand, there is an element of pride, rebellion and despair in the fatalistic attitude that promotes physician assisted suicide.
Instead, it should remain the duty of the doctor to come alongside the patient, to help them to carry the burden of sickness and to relieve the suffering as much as possible, without transgressing God’s word. Euthanasia is not a “kind death” (“genade dood”, in Afrikaans). Instead it is the ultimate act of unkindness and negativity which creates a society that cannot tolerate disability and disease.]]>
LIFEalerts 21 May 2015
Israel – Jewish Pro-Life Group Saves 35,000 Babies From Abortion
USA – Johns Hopkins reverses ban on detailed pro-life display
USA – Colorado Passes Unborn Victims Bill After Baby Cut Out of Womb
USA – Ohio Bill To Be Ban Down Syndrome Abortions
USA – FDA calls for tighter regulation of Homeopathic Medicine
Colombia – Country moves closer to legal euthanasia
No news today
South Korea – Schools banned from teaching about homosexuality
USA – Supreme Court divided on homosexual marriage
USA – Prominent M.D. says ‘Gender confusion’ a fleeting mental disorder
USA – Supreme Court upholds ban on conversion therapy
China – Scientists edit the genome of human embryos
UK – Mother becomes surrogate for son’s baby
New Zealand – Professionalize surrogacy say academics
USA – WHO says unreported clinical trial data “unethical”
USA – The complexities of brain death
USA – Germline tinkering sparks more controversy
USA – Drug giant appoints bioethicist to head compassionate use panel
No news today
Canada – Underground child porn trade moving toward youngest victims
South Africa – Porn channel fined R25,000 for pleasing its 284 subscribers
USA – Ontario child porn investigation triggers international operation
Ireland – Men asked to support campaign: “Prostitution – We Don’t Buy It”
Nepal – Quake survivors face threat from sex traffickers
USA – Truckers against trafficking combat prostitution at rest stops
No news today
USA – New drug called Flakka is Insanity for $5
USA – Most Americans say medical marijuana shouldn’t be used by kids
USA – Too many high employees prompts company to leave Colorado
USA – Newborns Enduring Drug Withdrawal
Israel – Jewish Pro-Life Group Saves 35,000 Babies From Abortion
An organization called EFRAT has helped save 35,000 children from abortion in Israel. When women in Israel register for abortions for financial reasons, they are given EFRAT’s number. After a volunteer talks with them and assesses their needs, they may receive services from the organization. Pregnant moms have diapers, formula, canned and dry food delivered to their door for a year. EFRAT has over 3,000 volunteers in Israel.
http://www.lifenews.com/2015/04/22/jewish-pro-life-group-efrat-saves-35000-babies-from-abortion/
USA – Johns Hopkins reverses ban on detailed pro-life display
Officials at Johns Hopkins University reversed a decision banning a pro-life display that had appeared for decades at the school’s Spring Fair. The display was sponsored by the student group JHU Voice for Life. It shows models of unborn fetuses in various stages of development, but was initially rejected this year on the grounds that it “contains triggering and disturbing images.” “Abortion is disturbing, that’s the reason we have such a table,” Andrew Guernsey the president of the group said. Experts on free speech say attempts to restrict pro-life arguments are very common on campuses throughout the country. So at Hopkins, for now, the pro-life group and the fetal development display have survived.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/04/15/johns-hopkins-reverses-ban-on-disturbing-pro-life-display/
USA – Colorado Passes Unborn Victims Bill After Mom’s Baby Cut Out of Womb
A Colorado state Senate committee approved a vote bill that would provide justice for unborn children who are killed or injured in violent crimes against their mother. The state lacks an unborn victims law to hold criminals accountable. The importance of this legislation came to light in March when Dynel Catece Lane was arrested in Longmont, Colorado after she attacked Michelle Wilkins and cut her seven month old unborn baby out of her womb. Senate president Bill Cadman is the sponsor of the unborn victims bill, Senate Bill 268, that mirrors federal law and the laws of dozens of states.
USA – Ohio Bill To Be Ban Down Syndrome Abortions
Seventy ninety percent of unborn babies with Down syndrome are victimized by abortions. North Dakota eventually became the first state in the United States to ban abortions on babies diagnosed with Down Syndrome. With the governor’s signature on the ban in 2013, Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple took that state in a decidedly pro-life direction. Ohio is now considering a similar ban on abortions of babies with Down syndrome. Right to Life’s Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act (H.B. 135) has received its first legislative hearing. “Prohibiting discriminatory abortions is a critical step in Ohio’s efforts to sow a more empathetic and diverse culture across our state,” said Stephanie Ranade Krider, executive director of Ohio Right to Life.
Alternative Medicine
USA – FDA calls for tighter regulation of Homeopathic Medicine
Homeopathic treatments could receive greater scrutiny from the Food and Drug Administration in the near future, as their popularity has led some critics to call for tighter regulation. The makers of homeopathic medicines would have to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of their products before they could be sold in drug stores and natural food shops. The agency last reviewed its regulation of homeopathic products in 1988 and the market has grown since that time. Then it was a multi-million dollar industry, and now it’s a multi-billion dollar industry. The FDA has seen some emerging safety concerns with these products and because of the passage of time, the growth of the industry, and these concerns, they thought it was time to take another look.
USA – Untested Stimulant Found to Persist in Some Supplements
A number of supplements marketed for weight loss and improved athletic performance contain a synthetic compound that is similar to the drug amphetamine which has not been tested in people. The Food and Drug Administration has known about the presence of this drug in supplements for two years, but still has not warned consumers about the issue or acted to take the supplements off the market. The FDA “did a lot of hard work to figure out this brand-new designer stimulant was in supplements … and then failed to inform the public,” said Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-author a study. “It’s inexplicable and inexcusable,” Cohen said.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/some-supplements-still-contain-untested-stimulant/
Euthanasia
Colombia – Country moves closer to legal euthanasia
Colombia’s Health Ministry has finally drawn up guidelines for voluntary euthanasia, 18 years after the country’s Supreme Court ruled that it was a constitutional right. Health Minister Alejandro Gaviría told media that only competent adults would be able to request the procedure, that only patients with a terminal illness would be eligible, and that if the patient is unconscious, relatives must present audio, video, or written proof that they wanted to be euthanized. Minors and patients with degenerative diseases will not be able to receive a lethal injection.
http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/colombia-close-to-legal-euthanasia/11411
HIV/AIDS & STI’s
No news today
Homosexuality
South Korea – Schools banned from teaching about homosexuality
Training materials issued to education offices in every province of South Korea state that ‘teaching about homosexuality is not permitted.’ ‘Sex education is not intended to be an opportunity for teachers to share their views on sexuality,’ it added. The document forbids using terms for non-heterosexual orientations and orders schools to remove LGBTI information from current curriculum’s. ‘It is urgent that we create sex-ed standards that move away from abstinence education, but staunch opposition from conservative groups to the initial draft made it difficult to reach a compromise,’ a Ministry of Health official said. ‘Our plan is to publish the standards that are possible right now and to work to create a social consensus moving forward,’ the official said.
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/south-korea-schools-banned-teaching-about-homosexuality020415
USA – Supreme Court divided on homosexual marriage
The U.S. Supreme Court seems sharply divided on whether the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. The court’s four liberal justices seem willing to vote in favour while the conservatives appear inclined to back the right of states to restrict the definition of marriage. Arguments focused on whether the Constitution’s guarantees of due process and equal protection mean states must allow homosexual couples to marry, and whether states must recognize same sex marriages performed in other states. The justices are due to deliver probably their most anticipated ruling of the year by the end of June. The arguments centered on homosexual marriage bans in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, four of the 13 states that currently prohibit it.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/28/us-usa-court-gaymarriage-idUSKBN0NI20G20150428
USA – Prominent M.D. says ‘Gender confusion’ a fleeting mental disorder
According to former Johns Hopkins Hospital psychiatrist-in-chief Paul R. McHugh, M.D., a person changing the sex he or she was born with is “biologically impossible.” He went on to declare that LGBT advocates who encourage “gender confused” individuals to have “sexual reassignment surgery” are guiding them down the path to suffer from mental illness, and quite possibly, suicide. McHugh points to a Swedish study tracking “transgenders” , some for nearly three decades, stressing how the decision often celebrated in the media to go through sex changes often proves fatal because of the mental toll it takes on individuals.
http://calconservatives.com/prominent-m-d-gender-confusion-a-fleeting-mental-disorder/
USA – Supreme Court upholds ban on conversion therapy
The U.S.Supreme Court upheld a ban on homosexual conversion therapy in New Jersey for patients under 18. In the case King v. Governor of New Jersey, the court declined to hear a challenge on the ban, following a similar decision in 2014 that also upheld a similar ban in California. Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill banning the practice in 2013. Supporters of the therapy attempted to present the issue as a restriction of free speech of doctors and counselors. Justices did not comment after issuing the order dismantling the challenge.
IVF &Surrogacy
China – Scientists edit the genome of human embryos
The aim of the scientists was to modify the gene for β-thalassaemia a potentially lethal blood disorder with a gene-editing technique known as CRISPR/Cas9. They used non-viable human embryos from IVF clinics. The idea was to eliminate the gene in one-cell embryos so they would develop into children who would not suffer the disease. They injected 86 embryos and examined them after 48 hours when they had grown to 8 cells. 71 survived and 54 were analyzed. 28 successfully spliced the target gene, but only a fraction of these contained the correct replacement gene. They also found that there were a number of “off-target” mutations somehow caused by CRISPR/Cas9.
http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/china-ignites-debate-over-genetic-engineering/11414
UK – Mother becomes surrogate for son’s baby
Kyle Casson 24, a supermarket worker was desperate for a child. A relative volunteered to be a surrogate, but pulled out for medical reasons and Kyle’s mother then stepped forward. So Kyle found a donor with the right hair and eye color and organised fertilization and implantation at an IVF clinic. This is the first time that a single man has had a baby through surrogacy in the UK. The relationships of the 3 people are complex. Anne-Marie is the mother of Kyle, and both the mother and the grandmother of Miles. Miles is both the half-brother and the son of Kyle. Kyle is both the son and the “husband” of Anne-Marie. How this will affect Miles only time will tell.
http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/british_mum_becomes_surrogate_for_sons_baby/11356
New Zealand – Professionalize Surrogacy say Academics
Academics have proposed that surrogacy become a profession like nursing or teaching and is fully integrated into the health system. Their discussion centers on decisions about whether to abort a surrogate mother’s fetus if there is a substantial abnormality. It would be unethical for commissioning parents to request abortion for a minor abnormality like a cleft palate, but in cases of severe abnormality, abortion would be the morally responsible thing to do. Payment should not be tied to the delivery of a healthy infant. Where the surrogate agrees to an abortion she should still receive full payment so that she is not penalized for doing the right thing. The intended parents are not buying a baby but a service.
http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/professionalise_surrogacy_say_new_zealand_academics/11338
Medical Ethics
USA – WHO says unreported clinical trial data “unethical”
The World Health Organization has called for the disclosure of results from clinical trials for medical products, whatever the result. There is increasing empirical evidence that results of many clinical trials are suppressed from the public. The move aims to ensure that decisions related to the safety and efficacy of vaccines, drugs and medical devices are supported by the best available evidence. WHO has recommended that the findings of every clinical study should be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal within 12 months after data collection ends and be published in an open-access journal. “It’s unethical to conduct clinical research without reporting the results,” says immunologist Dr. Vasee Moorthy, author of a paper discussing the rationale behind the WHO’s new statement.
http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/unreported-clinical-trial-data-unethical/11403
USA – The complexities of brain death
An article in the journal Neurology by a team of neurologists and medical researchers from clinics and universities around the US, found that institutional protocols were absent or poorly understood in a significant number of low-income countries.” Doctors around the world leave different periods of time following initial neurological deterioration before they declare brain death, with reported results from less than 5 hours to more than 25 hours.“ “There were several discrepancies regarding the conduct of apnea testing”, and views about the import of ancillary testing (EEGs, Dopler ultrasounds etc.) differed significantly between countries, the authors report. In their discussion of the results of the study, the authors flagged a need for greater collaboration between medical institutions from different countries.
http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/the-complexities-of-brain-death/11407
Study: http://www.neurology.org/content/early/2015/04/08/WNL.0000000000001540.short
USA – Germline tinkering sparks more controversy
Responding to Chinese attempts to modify the human genome using new gene editing technology, director of the US National Institutes of Health, Francis S. Collins, declared the NIH would not fund such research. “The strong arguments against engaging in this activity remain. These include the serious and unquantifiable safety issues, ethical issues presented by altering the germline in a way that affects the next generation without their consent, and a current lack of compelling medical applications justifying the use of CRISPR in embryos. Critics of the controversial experiments to correct a defect in a single-cell embryo’s DNA believe the technology will be used for genetic engineering and ultimately, human enhancement and Nature and Science refused to publish the research, despite its show-stopping potential.
http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/germline-tinkering-sparks-more-controversy/11417
USA – Drug giant appoints bioethicist to head compassionate use panel
Johnson & Johnson has appointed Art Caplan, of New York University to head a company panel examining cases of desperately-ill patients who believe a drug not approved yet will help them. Compassionate use is an attempt to strike a balance between patient autonomy and informed consent. On the one hand, patients are making their own choices after being informed of the risks. On the other hand, they may be too sick or may not have the background to understand the risks As the New England Journal of Medicine says, “it may well not be in the interest of patients, however sick they may be, to have easier access to products that are ineffective and may actually worsen their clinical status.”
Pedophilia
No news today
Pornography
Canada – Underground child porn trade moving toward youngest victims
Data from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection shows that sexualized images of children under the age of 9, depicting explicit sexual acts, represent the largest and fastest-growing category in Canada’s underground child pornography trade, according to exclusive data obtained from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. Their abusers are overwhelmingly family and friends. The data shows 73 per cent of the images of young victims depicted sex acts that included “bondage” and “torture.” That figure was up 12 per cent over the previous year.
It is the first time that the age category from newborn to 8 accounted for more than half of the material. Images of children in older age categories dropped or held steady.
South Africa – Porn channel fined R25,000 for pleasing its 284 subscribers
Digital satellite TV broadcaster StarSat got more than just a telling off by the broadcasting watchdog for continuing to show pornographic content after a court order forbade it to. The company was fined R25,000 by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) for “knowingly” continuing the unauthorised service while its application to appeal the court’s decision had not yet been lodged. The company asked to be let off without a fine but this only served to reduce its fine from the BCCSA maximum penalty of R60,000. The council of the Justice Alliance of South Africa‚ which lodged the complaint with the BCCSA‚ argued that regardless of the content and protections‚ providing an unauthorised service knowingly justified more than a reprimand.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/entertainment/2015/05/07/porn-channel-fined-r25000-for-pleasing-its-284-subscribers
USA – Ontario child porn investigation triggers international operation
Dozens of suspects, including some as young as 12, have been arrested in connection with a child pornography investigation known as Project Hydra. The project began with one child victim in the York region and through investigation has grown into a significant international project with thousands of potential victims according to Inspector Tim Kelly. Police said 41 suspects have been arrested and 110 charges have been laid in North America. The charges include possession, distribution and accessing of child pornography. Seventeen of the suspects were arrested in Canada. A young person had allegedly uploaded the images. Police contacted owners of the website used by the young person and identified suspects around the world.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/new-brunswick-man-charged-after-2000-boys-allegedly-lured-online/article24283269/
Prostitution & Trafficking
Ireland – Men asked to support campaign: “Prostitution – We Don’t Buy It”
The campaign is supported by Justice Minister Fitzgerald and her Northern counterpart David , coincides with a new Red C Poll, which shows the vast majority of Irish men do not use prostitutes .The survey finds that 88 per cent of men have never bought sex – just 8 per cent of men say they have – and 4 percent did not respond. The vast majority of people surveyed also believe that women who sell sex have been pimped or trafficked into the sex industry. The idea that prostitution is a time honored profession is a myth .There’s are lot of myths about why men buy sex and many are tied up with the idea that men are lonely
Nepal – Quake survivors face threat from sex traffickers
Criminal networks are using the cover of rescue efforts to target poor rural communities in country where an estimated 15,000 girls are trafficked a year, warn NGOs. Tens of thousands of young women from regions devastated by the earthquake in Nepal are being targeted by human traffickers supplying a network of brothels across south Asia. Some are taken overseas, to South Korea and as far as South Africa. But the majority end up in Indian brothels where tens of thousands are working in appalling conditions. “This is the time when the brokers go in the name of relief to kidnap or lure women. People here are desperate now and will take any chance.
USA – Truckers against trafficking combat prostitution at rest stops
When truck drivers break at a rest stop they’re often confronted by young girls working in the sex trade. The FBI set up a series of countrywide stings at truck stops where they found a number of pimps dispensing their prostitutes. To educate drivers on how to protect these girls, and potentially liberate them from being trafficked, Truckers Against Trafficking has launched a campaign .The program trains drivers how to identify a prostitute and encourages them to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline if they come into contact with trafficked workers. Truckers are the eyes and ears of nation’s highways and can make a substantial difference in this fight.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/05/truckers-against-sex-trafficking_/9.h
Stem Cells & Cloning
No news today
Substance Abuse
USA – New drug called Flakka is Insanity for $5
James Hall, an epidemiologist at the Center for Applied Research on Substance Use and Health Disparities at Nova Southeastern University in Florida said, “Even though addicted, users tell us they are literally afraid of this drug,” Flakka is a synthetic stimulant with a reputation for its nasty side effects, including a tendency to give people enormous rage and strength, along with intense hallucinations. The street name for the chemical alpha-PVP is Gravel. The body overheats and users become delusional and violent. Flakka was banned by the DEA in 2014. Police are generally called, but it takes up to six officers to restrain an individual. 10 people have died from overdoses in the last few months.
http://www.livescience.com/50502-what-is-flakka.html
USA – Most Americans say medical marijuana shouldn’t be used by kids
Marijuana and children don’t mix, even if its claimed to be used for medical purposes, most Americans say. While nearly two-thirds of people agree that their state should allow so-called ‘medical marijuana’ for adults, only half as many — about a third — say it should be allowed for children, according to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150420084545.htm?utm_source=feedburner
USA – Too many high employees prompts company to leave Colorado
Marc Brawner, the owner of the company Little Spider Creations, says since Colorado legalized marijuana, too many employees were coming in high. He was firing too many people, and made the decision to move to South Carolina. Brawner says you could definitely see the difference in employees work quality when they were high, and he says they were just not as productive and had an “it’s good enough” attitude. The Colorado-based employment service has calls from employers asking for advice on what to do if an employee comes into work high, adding to the social and economical cost due to marijuana legalization.
USA – Newborns Enduring Drug Withdrawal
infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) to treat symptoms of drug withdrawal have nearly quadrupled since 2004. Neonatal abstinence syndrome, a drug-withdrawal syndrome that occurs after exposure to prescription narcotic painkillers during pregnancy affected only 7 babies for every 1,000 admitted to a NICU in 2004. By 2013, that number had jumped to 27 infants out of 1,000 babies in the NICU. The Baylor University Medical Center found the percentage of days spent in a NICU attributed to drug withdrawal went from 0.6{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} to 4{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} over that decade. Eight neonatal centers reported that more than 20{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of NICU days were spent caring for these infants in 2013. The findings were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International
]]>Holland – Another "ground breaking court decision" The Genie is out of the Bottle
In another ground-breaking court decision the Dutch Appeals Court has ruled that a doctor does not have to be involved to allow assisted suicide. Albert Heringa assisted his mother in 2008 by helping her overdose herself. Judge Anhem has ruled that Heringa followed his unwritten moral duty to help his 99-year-old mother commit suicide.
Fiona Zonneveld of the Dutch Association for Voluntary Euthanasia said the decision is a step in the direction they wanted to go. Originally countries passed euthanasia laws to allow people with terminal illnesses to choose assisted suicide at the end of their lives. Since then, Holland has moved down the slippery slope and allowed people with chronic physical conditions, later for mental conditions and, more recently, for babies when treatment is considered “medically futile”. One is reminded of the case of Tom Mortier’s mother in Belgium who was euthanized for “untreatable depression”. Mortier was not informed of his mother’s condition until the day after her death. In the words of Theo Boer: “I used to be a supporter of legislation (to legalize euthanasia). But now, with 12 years of experience, I take a different view. At the very least, wait for an honest and intellectually satisfying analysis of the reasons behind the explosive increase in the numbers. Is it because the law should have had better safeguards? Or is it because the mere existence of such a law is an invitation to see assisted suicide and euthanasia as normality instead of a last resort? Before those questions are answered, don’t go there. Once the genie is out of the bottle, it is not likely to ever go back in again.”
Professor Boer was a member of a Regional Review Committee for the Dutch government which first motivated for and later regulated euthanasia in The Netherlands.
He had written in 2007:
“There doesn’t have to be a ‘slippery slope’ when it comes to euthanasia. A good euthanasia law, in combination with the euthanasia review procedure, provides the warrants for a stable and relatively low number of cases”.
All this sounds so similar to the arguments for euthanasia in South Africa. Are we about to let the genie out of the bottle like Holland has?]]>
Porn channel fined R25,000
Porn channel fined R25,000 for pleasing its 284 subscribers
Dominic Skelton | 07 May, 2015 13:18
Digital satellite TV broadcaster StarSat got more than just a telling off by the broadcasting watchdog for continuing to show pornographic content after a court order forbade it to.
SCA dismisses ODM appeal over decision to licence porn channels SCA dismisses ODM appeal over decision to licence porn channels
Porn TV’s prime-time ban upheld by court Porn TV’s prime-time ban upheld by court
The company was fined R25,000 by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) for “knowingly” continuing the unauthorised service while its application to appeal the court’s decision had not yet been lodged.
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa had allowed On Digital Media‚ which runs StarSat‚ to broadcast the pornographic content on three channels but the Western Cape High Court retracted the authorisation in November last year.
StarSat admitted to continuing the service for almost four weeks during December and January in anticipation of their appeal‚ which was subsequently dismissed by the Supreme Court of Appeal.
The company asked to be let off without a fine‚ saying that the service was only available on subscription and locked by two security pins. Subscribers had to prove they were over 18 years old and the service had only 284 subscribers.
However‚ this only served to reduce its fine from the BCCSA’s maximum penalty of R60,000.
The council of the Justice Alliance of South Africa‚ which lodged the complaint with the BCCSA‚ argued that regardless of the content and protections‚ providing an unauthorised service knowingly justified more than a reprimand.
The BCCSA agreed.
“A fine should be imposed to demonstrate to the respondent and other broadcasters that it is a serious contravention to broadcast without authorisation. However‚ there are circumstances that support [the approach] that the maximum should not be imposed‚” BCCSA chairman Kobus van Rooyen said.
Van Rooyen said the fine of R25,000 was “sufficient to indicate the seriousness of the offence”.
The BCCSA said the issue was not that pornography was broadcast but that there was broadcast without authorisation. It said the broadcasting of non-violent pornography was permitted by the Code for Subscription Broadcasters if it was branded ‘X18’.
– RDM News Wire, TMG Courts and Law]]>
SAMA Advises on Recent Court Order on Euthanasia and Doctor-Assisted Suicide.
South African Medical Association (SAMA) is a non-statutory, professional association for public and private sector medical practitioners. Registered as an independent company, SAMA acts as a trade union for its public sector members and as a champion for doctors and patients.
Doctors for Life International is an organisation of 1400 medical doctors, specialists and professors of medicine from Medical Faculties in South Africa and abroad. DFL provides expert evidence on various issues of medical and medical-ethical importance. Since 1991 DFL has been actively promoting sound science in the medical profession and health care that is safe and efficient for all South Africans.
On the 30th April last week, a judge in the Pretoria High Court granted an application by Advocate Stransham-Ford to be assisted by a willing and qualified medical practitioner to end his life either by the administration of a lethal agent or by providing him with the necessary agent to administer himself. In other words, the applicant was granted the legal right to die and the doctor who assisted in his demise would not be prosecuted. The High Court emphasized that the order should not be read as endorsing the proposals of the End of Life Decisions Bill in the Law Commission report of November 1998. It also highlighted that the Order applied only to this index case and that anyone who required the assistance of a medical practitioner to commit suicide would need to approach the Court and that each application would be considered on its own merits. Fortuitously, the patient had died that morning prior to the Court Order being issued.
Notwithstanding the Courts decision that the medical practitioner who assisted the patient would not be held accountable criminally or civilly, the South African Medical Association (SAMA) cautions its practitioners that the Health Professions Council of South Africa’s (HPCSA) Policies nevertheless remain in force and such activities by practitioners could result in disciplinary sanctions by the HPCSA.
The SAMA also highlights the value of palliative care for the relief of pain and suffering for patients who are terminally ill and stresses that pain cannot be viewed as a persuasive enough reason to resort to the extreme measure to end one’s life. Healthcare practitioners have obligations to patients in the palliative care setting and these duties extend to that of advocating for access to quality palliative care for patients who are terminally ill. The SAMA does not support the right to die in law and opposes euthanasia and doctor-assisted suicide in line with the HPCSA’s Policies and the World Medical Association’s Guidelines and Codes on the subject.
Prepared by the Human Rights, Law and Ethics Committee of SAMA.]]>
LIFEalerts 30 April 2015
| Abortion | USA – Louisiana Bill Will Ban Sex-Selection Abortions |
| Alternative Medicine | South Africa – Traditional healers in a fix over new law |
| Euthanasia | USA – Connecticut Defeats Legislation to Legalize Assisted Suicide |
| HIV/AIDS | No news today |
| Homosexuality | USA – Agencies allowed to refuse homosexual adoptions UK – Force schools to endorse homosexual relationships USA – Former North Carolina magistrates sue over same-sex marriages USA – White House opens first gender-neutral restroom |
| IVF & Surrogacy | India – Law Student Beaten up after refusing to be Surrogate Mother China – Government bans surrogacy UK – First country to approve law to allow babies from three people |
| Medical Ethics | Australia – Informed consent dilemma: Jehovah witness and child die USA – Bioethics commission report on neuroscience and law |
| Pedophilia | No news today |
| Pornography | UK – Children Fear Addiction to Internet Pornography UK – ChildLine campaign confronts issue of young people and porn UK – Charity steps up removal of child sex abuse image |
| Prostitution &Trafficking | Netherlands – Prostitutes protest closure of brothel ‘windows’ USA – Colorado Springs police try public shaming to fight prostitution USA – Police use high tech tactics to stop prostitution Germany – Girls as Goods: Forced Prostitution in Berlin |
| Stem Cells & Cloning | No news today |
| Substance Abuse | USA – The Terrible Truth about Cannabis France – Parliament approves experiment of safe injection rooms USA – Cannabis remains a Schedule 1 drug federal judge rules |
Abortion
USA – Louisiana Bill Will Ban Sex-Selection Abortions Research has shown that sex-selection abortion has made its way from Asia to the United States and pro-lifers are moving forward with legislation to ban it. Rep. Lenar Whitney has filed H.B. 701, the Louisiana Pre-Natal Non-Discrimination Act (PRENDA) and it will be considered soon before the House Health and Welfare Committee. Rep. Whitney said: “Louisiana, as a leader in protecting human life, has a responsibility through this legislation to ensure that this form of discrimination does not take place within our borders. I look forward to passing this legislation and placing it on Gov. Jindal’s desk for his signature.” http://www.lifenews.com/2015/04/15/louisiana-bill-would-ban-sex-selection-abortions-targeting-girl-babies/Alternative Medicine
South Africa – Traditional healers in a fix over new law Traditional healers will have to be registered with a healers’ council by May 1 or face a fine or imprisonment, according to the Traditional Health Practitioners’ Act. But they are going to have a hard time complying – the council appears not to exist. The Times could not find its address, website, phone number or names of those involved in it. The Department of Health has failed to respond to questions about the council’s existence sent to it last week. Phepsile Maseko, head of the Traditional Healers’ Organisation, which claims 69000 members said the council was “not functional”. A council would enforce accountability among healers because patients could lodge complaints about them that could be investigated, said Maseko. http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2015/04/09/traditional-healers-in-a-fix-over-new-lawEuthanasia
USA – Connecticut Defeats Legislation to Legalize Assisted Suicide Connecticut will not follow Oregon, Washington and Vermont as the fourth state to legalize assisted suicide. Backers of the bill said they would try again next year in an attempt to get the state legislature to sign off on such a bill. Again a coalition of pro-life groups, disability rights advocates and religious and medical organizations, as has happened in other states, was crucial to stopping the measure. http://www.lifenews.com/2015/04/10/connecticut-defeats-legislation-to-make-it-4th-state-to-legalize-assisted-suicide/HIV/AIDS & STI’s
No news today
Homosexuality
USA – Agencies allowed to refuse homosexual adoptions The Florida House voted for a “conscience protection” bill allowing private adoption agencies to refuse placement of children with same-sex couples. The 75-38 vote sending the proposal to the state Senate came after more than 90 minutes of often impassioned debate. The bill does not specifically mention homosexuals. It permits agencies with written codes of ethics to refuse adoptions sought by parents whose lifestyles are at odds with the agency. http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2015/04/09/house-allows-agencies-block-gay-adoptions/25533447/ UK – Force schools to endorse homosexual relationships Schools should be required to give children a positive portrayal of same-sex relationships, according to a major teachers’ union. The National Union of Teachers (NUT) backed the promotion of LGBT History Month and an ‘LGBT inclusive’ curriculum at its annual conference in Harrogate this weekend. However, The Christian Institute said it would force Christian teachers “to have to choose between their faith and their job”. Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: “The rights of groups who oppose gay marriage on sincere religious grounds should be respected as much as those who support homosexual marriage. http://www.christian.org.uk/news/force-schools-to-endorse-gay-relationships-says-nut/ USA – Former North Carolina magistrates sue over same-sex marriages Two former North Carolina magistrates who stepped down from their posts after a ruling that allowed same-sex marriages in the state have filed a lawsuit that says they should not have to perform same-sex ceremonies. Former Swain County magistrate Gilbert Breedlove and former Graham County magistrate Thomas Holland are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit that was filed in Superior Court. “Defendants forced Plaintiffs to choose between taking an act that violates their sincerely held religious beliefs or being criminally prosecuted,” says the lawsuit. It says the men resigned under duress and should be reinstated. They’re seeking injunctive relief, damages, and attorneys’ fees. http://abc11.com/news/former-north-carolina-magistrates-sue-over-same-sex-marriages/644674 USA – White House opens first gender-neutral restroom The White House has opened its first gender-neutral restroom in what is seen as a symbolic step by President Barack Obama to protect the rights of the LGBT community in the workplace. In Florida, the “Bathroom Surveillance Bill” would ban transgender people from using bathrooms, locker rooms and other sex-segregated facilities except those designated for their gender at birth. Transgender advocates have attacked the laws as discriminatory and accused legislators in some states of “attacking the dignity and humanity of transgender and gender non-conforming people”. “It is heartening that … at least the White House is still moving in the direction of dignity and common sense,” said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/09/us-gay-rights-whitehouse-idUSKBN0N02CA20150409IVF &Surrogacy
India – Law Student Beaten up after refusing to be Surrogate Mother A 22-year-old was allegedly sexually harassed and beaten by a guest house owner and his accomplices for refusing to be a surrogate and five persons, including workers at a private hospital, were arrested. The victim was sent for medical examination and her statement will be recorded before a magistrate. A case has been registered with charges of rape, abducting in order to murder, and assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty. Surrogacy if allowed needs to be governed by strict policy to avoid women being taken advantage of and such incidents avoided. http://zeenews.india.com/news/uttar-pradesh/meerut-shocker-law-student-raped-beaten-for-rejecting-surrogacy_1543902.html China – Government bans surrogacy “Surrogacy upsets the natural order of childbirth and poses health risks,” a government statement said. The practice contradicts the government’s population policy and a health commission spokesman later said that regulators will ban any businesses related to the practice. This is the strongest signal about surrogate motherhood that the government has ever sent. China’s surrogates usually come from rural areas and are desperate for cash. They earn anywhere between 10 000 to 100 000 yuan for carrying a baby. The demand for surrogate mothers has risen along with infertility as a 2012 study showed that about 12{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of women in the country were infertile. The problem with underground surrogacy is the women involved are desperate for money, so they conceal health problems. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/china-cracks-down-on-surrogate-births-even-as-infertility-rises-2015-04-14 UK – First country to approve law to allow babies from three people This procedure will prevent babies inheriting deadly genetic diseases. Scientist explained that mitochondria are the tiny compartments inside nearly every cell of the body that convert food into useable energy and a genetic defect in it means that the body has insufficient energy to keep the heart beating or the brain functioning. This new technique will use a modified version of IVF to combine the healthy mitochondria of a donor woman with DNA of the 2 parents and will result in babies with 0.1 percent of their DNA from the second woman, is a permanent change that would echo down through the generations. The first baby with the new technique could be born as early as 2016. http://www.medindia.net/news/uk-approves-three-person-babies-with-help-of-modified-ivf-version-146924-1.htmMedical Ethics
Australia – Informed consent dilemma: Jehovah witness and child die
In a case in the Internal Medicine Journal, doctors at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney report that a 28-year-old woman with acute promyelocytic leukemia refused all blood products even though she knew that her decision might lead to her death. Her foetus died in utero and she died several days later. However, the doctors note that: “maternal autonomy was respected – which reflects broad legal and ethical consensus that competent adults may refuse any form of medical intervention – even where that intervention is lifesaving… Circumstances where foetal and maternal autonomy conflict, or where foetal beneficence conflicts with maternal autonomy, create challenges… as more foetal-specific treatments become available, conflict between the best interests of mother and foetus will increase.”
http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/informed-consent-dilemma-jehovah-witness-and-child-die/11394
USA – Bioethics commission report on neuroscience and law The US Presidential Commission into the Study of Bioethical Issues has released its report Grey Matters: Topics at the intersection of neuroscience, ethics, and society, which examines three key areas in which neuroscience intersects with ethics. Perhaps the most topical is the role of neuroscience in the courtroom. The report catalogues the various contributions that neuroscience could potentially make to our understanding of human action and also examines ethical concerns such as the potential for misinterpretation and overstatement of the implications of neuroscientific research. The authors of the report call for educational tools to help judges and lawyers grasp the rudiments of neuroscience and cautions against the perennial temptation to overstate the implications of scientific research. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/us-bioethics-commission-releases-report-on-neuroscience-and-law/11395Pedophilia
No news todayPornography
UK – Children Fear Addiction to Internet Pornography The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children interviewed 700 children for a study, and found 12{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of respondents admitted to making an explicit video. One in 10 children aged 12 or 13 say they have made a sexually-explicit video or been part of one. Almost one in 10 (9{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}) are worried that they had become addicted to pornography. One in five children (18{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4}) said they had seen pornographic images that had shocked. The founder of ChildLine, Dame Esther Rantzen, indicated that the research pointed to a need for better education in schools regarding the difference between real life relationships and the fantasy world of porn because young people are turning to the internet to learn about sex and relationships. http://news.sky.com/story/1455776/children-fear-addiction-to-internet-pornography UK – ChildLine campaign confronts issue of young people and porn Sue Minto, Head of ChildLine service explains why the issue of porn is being addressed with latest campaign. As a charity that fights for every child they have launched the ChildLine FAPZ campaign (the Fight Against Porn Zombies). They received 18,000 visits every month about exposure to porn on their discussion forums from children that are worried they are addicted to porn. Animations are used as a hook to direct young people to a range of information and advice on the ChildLine website. Since they launched their campaign on 13 March, their videos have attracted more than 140,000 viewers. At least 10 per cent of the viewers went on to look for further helpful information about pornography on the ChildLine website. http://www.nspcc.org.uk/fighting-for-childhood/news-opinion/sue-minto-we-cannot-shy-away-talking-about-porn/ UK – Charity steps up removal of child sex abuse image The UK-based Internet Watch Foundation said it assisted in the removal of 31,266 sexually explicit web pages depicting youngsters in 2014, compared with 13,182 in 2013. The charity is taking a proactive approach, seeking out child abuse imagery rather than just acting on reports. The UK’s four biggest internet service providers committed an extra £1m to fund its efforts. Fewer than 0.3{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of the web pages detected were hosted in the UK, 56{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} were hosted in North America, 41{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} were hosted in Europe, including Russia. “There is a lot of research being done on automatically detecting the images themselves and what keywords to look for in related text, according to Prof Alan Woodward, who advises Europol on the issue. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-32288650Prostitution & Trafficking
Netherlands – Prostitutes protest closure of brothel ‘windows’ Hundreds of sex workers and supporters protested in Amsterdam against plans to reinvigorate the city’s famed red light district by closing some of the windows where sex workers sit to draw clients. The famously open-minded city has proposed shutting down some of the brothels in the district to help in the fight against human trafficking and other crimes. About 115 of the 500 red and pink-lit windows have already been closed in recent years. About 7 000 sex workers ply their trade in Amsterdam and some 75{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} of them come from poorer countries, particularly in eastern Europe. http://www.news24.com/World/News/Sex-workers-protest-closure-of-brothel-windows-20150410 USA – Colorado Springs police try public shaming to fight prostitution Colorado Springs police have a new way to combat prostitution: public shaming. The police department have started announcing the names of johns, or people convicted of soliciting for prostitution. Many johns were featured, along with their mug shots in a news release to media outlets, which also was posted on the police department’s Facebook page. Some agencies publicized johns on billboards or public access television, and in Corpus Christi, Texas, convicted johns had to put bumper stickers on their cars saying “Stop Prostitution”. Some departments announced arrests while other conducted social media campaigns after johns were convicted http://gazette.com/search USA – Police use high tech tactics to stop prostitution Police in Lubbock are using the internet to catch people participating in prostitution. It’s just like patrolling neighborhoods except they patrol internet. Police put advertisements offering sex for money and once they have a buyer, they set up a meeting. Are they 110{01b0879e117dd7326006b2e84bcaac7e8fa1509c5c67baf2c9eb498fe06caff4} sure when they read whatever it is on the internet that they are soliciting prostitution? Absolutely. But how do they know they have the right person when they make the arrest? There’s no doubt when they show up that’s who came to meet them because of conversations, time, place, date or what they’re driving. Police are hoping this sting will lead to catching bigger criminals, child predators or drug traffickers. http://www.kcbd.com/story/4825084/police-use-high-tech-tactics-to-stop-prostitution Germany – Girls as Goods: Forced Prostitution in Berlin A Television documentary is showing how young women see their way to Germany as the only way to secure a better life for themselves and their families. Girls growing up in poverty can be easy game for traffickers. Young girls from Romania and Bulgaria, some of them underage, are forced to have sex with up to 15 men a day, often without protection. Forced prostitution is a business that earns pimps and unscrupulous businessmen millions every year at the expense of enslaved girls and women who’re often desperately looking for a way out. Many of them don’t have passports and don’t speak German. In particular, young girls from Eastern Europe are increasingly falling prey to unscrupulous traffickers. http://www.dw.de/girls-as-goods-forced-prostitution-in-berlin/a-18324810Stem Cells & Cloning
No news today
Substance Abuse
USA – The Terrible Truth about Cannabis According to a 20 year study by Professor Wayne Hall, drugs advisor to the World Health Organisation: “If cannabis is not addictive then neither is heroin or alcohol; it’s harder to get people who are dependent on cannabis through withdrawal than heroin; we just don’t know how to do it. Those trying to stop cannabis suffer anxiety, insomnia, appetite disturbance and depression. Even after treatment, less than half can stay off the drug for six months.” 1 in 6 teenagers who smoke the drug become dependent and it doubles the risk of developing psychotic disorders including schizophrenia. Smoking doubles risk of having a car crash and those smoking cannabis are more likely to use harder drugs. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2783111/The-terrible-truth-cannabis-Expert-s-devastating-20-year-study-finally-demolishes-claims-smoking-pot-harmless.html France – Parliament approves experiment of safe injection rooms The French Parliament has adopted the experimentation of safe injection rooms. After more than four hours of lively debate between the parties, Article 9 of the bill on the modernization of the healthcare system was adopted by 50 votes against 24. These facilities, which have already been recognized in other countries, aim to reach out to drug addicts who usually adopt risky behaviors such as injecting in unhealthy conditions, often in the street. This begs the question, should we be condoning addictive behavior and saying it’s ok to abuse drugs as long as it is done in a controlled environment, or rather promote a healthy drug free society where addiction is treated rather than nurtured. http://idpc.net/alerts/2015/04/french-parliament-approves-experimentation-of-safe-injection-rooms USA – Cannabis remains a Schedule 1 drug federal judge rules A federal judge in California declined to remove marijuana from the list of most dangerous drugs. U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller said “This is not the court and this is not the time” to overturn federal law, and pointed out that courts are not designed to act as a maker of public policy. This decision lies with the FDA and scientists. The call to reclassify marijuana came out of a 2011 criminal complaint over pot plants illegally grown in California. Attorneys for the defendants had sought to dismiss the charges on the grounds that pot should not be listed among Schedule 1 drug that has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20150415/marijuana-remains-a-schedule-1-drug-just-like-heroin-and-lsd-judge-rulesDisclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of Doctors for Life International
]]>Assisted Suicide – DFL not happy with Courts decision
Press Release – Court’s decision on Assisted Suicide.
Firstly DFL would like to send our condolences to the family and loved ones of Robert Stransham Ford,who passed away this morning, may he rest in peace. Secondly DFL would also like to thank Reg Willis, Adrian De’Oliviera and Robin Twaddle Attorneys for all there hard work and time they have devoted to the case
Doctors For Life International is very disappointed with the judge’s decision over the planned assisted suicide. DFL has established that the three state Respondents and the Health Professions Council intend to appeal and 2 June 2015 has been arranged with the judge for argument for leave to appeal. DFL is considering appealing the judge’s refusal to admit DFL as a party to the proceedings and only admitting DFL as amici curiae.
People who are terminally ill are at an extremely vulnerable stage of their lives. They often go through periods of deep depression, which is often over looked, but fully treatable. DFL would like to discourage organizations from using people at such vulnerable periods to gain publicity and to promote there agenda.
It is not reasonable to introduce radical legislation on the perceived needs of a minority that could end up being lethal for the majority of the population. It is setting a dangerous double standard to say suicide under certain conditions is acceptable while discouraging suicide as a whole. SA ranks 5th in the world amongst countries with the highest prevalence of suicide. On a national level the Department of Health is battling an epidemic of teenage suicide. How are we going to prevent the spread of suicide contagion and discourage suicide amongst teenagers who feel that there life is unbearable, for what ever reasons, while at the same time send out an official message that suicide for some is acceptable.
Take this in context with the present day situation in SA with extreme violence, more than 40 murders committed each day. In the words of Professor Daniel J Ncayiyana, former editor of the SAMJ in 2012;
“Mob justice, police brutality and xenophobia abound. Needless deaths occur regularly in our hospitals through staff neglect and indifference. Health care providers think nothing of downing tools and walking off, abandoning critically ill patients, or of blocking ambulances with critical emergencies from entering health facilities during labor disputes. In the circumstances, euthanasia cannot be at the top of the wish-list of things that must be accomplished in order to improve the human condition of South Africans.”
Coercion will also be too subtle to control. Research has shown that even the way in which a doctor describes the treatment options for someone with cancer can encourage a person to ask for euthanasia. With regards to family the only thing that’s necessary for a family member who wants to inherit something from the terminally ill patient is to hint, at the bedside, that he/she is a burden to the family. This kind of pressure is often too much to handle and the patient will feel there is only one choice and that is to ask for an assisted death.
Legalized euthanasia also provides a financial incentive for premature deaths. It will always be cheaper to kill than to provide palliative care over long periods of time. In countries where euthanasia is legal there have been cases where medical aid schemes have said that they cannot cover the costs for breast cancer treatment but physician assisted suicide is covered. What choice does this really leave the person with who has to choose between suffering without treatment or assisted suicide?
DFL is disappointed that this European trend which is so foreign to the African way of thinking is being forced onto our society by a small minority.
Doctors for Life International is an organisation of 1400 medical doctors, specialists and professors of medicine from Medical Faculties in South Africa and abroad. DFL provides expert evidence on various issues of medical and medical-ethical importance. Since 1991 DFL has been actively promoting sound science in the medical profession and health care that is safe and efficient for all South Africans.
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Doctors-for-Life-disappointed-in-assisted-suicide-ruling-20150501]]>
Porn – No Longer On SA TV.
DFL is delighted with the final outcome of the court case against On Digital Media t/a StarSat aka TopTV.
