News
The relationship between assisted suicide and rates of non-assisted suicide (England)
The systematic review published by Cambridge University in June 2022 do not support the claims made that the introduction of EAS results in reduced rates of non-assisted suicide. Several studies reported increases in overall rates of self-initiated death and, in some cases, increased non-assisted suicide, although this latter increase was generally not significant when sociodemographic factors … Read more
Decriminalisation of cannabis, UN delves into impacts of cannabis legalisation (Europe)
Highlighted in the 2022 World Drug Report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, cannabis remains the most widely used drug worldwide, with roughly 209 million people having used cannabis in 2020, a 23% increase from the 170 million people in 2010. As cannabis use and THC potencies increase, there has been a “notable increase” in … Read more
Decriminalisation of cannabis, high court rejects bid for work reinstatement (South Africa)
An employee who was fired after repeatedly testing positive for cannabis, in breach of company rules, has failed in their bid to be reinstated. The company had a zero-tolerance policy towards alcohol and drugs requiring employees to undergo regular tests. After failing several weekly tests the employee was charged with breaching the company’s Alcohol and … Read more
Decriminalization of cannabis, five teens, three year old girl, suffer from cannabis side effects (Thailand)
Six children suffered from cannabis side effects between June 21 and 26, 2022, Dr Opass Putcharoen, head of Chulalongkorn University’s Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Centre, reveals. People have bought food, beverages and products with cannabis as an additive after the plant was legalised for medical and commercial use on June 9. “The legalization of cannabis … Read more
Real World Data: More Than 800 000 lives saved by Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers since 2016 (USA)
Analysis of a nationally representative dataset reveals that since 2016 more than 800 000 lives have been saved through the community based care of pro-life pregnancy centers. Charles Donovan, President of CLI said, “ Pro-Life Centers help women fulfill their dreams by listening to their concerns and building a network of community support to partner … Read more
Japan passes bill to prevent exploitation of young people in porn (Japan)
A bill to prevent young people from being exploited in pornographic productions was passed in an effort to end the abuse of young people. The bill allows people who agree to appear in pornographic content to terminate their contracts at any time before the film’s public release as well as up to a year afterward. … Read more
Euthanasia included in advance directives (Spain)
On May 31, a royal decree amended the law relating to euthanasia in Spain. Since its legalization on March 18, 2021 (cf. Spain legalizes euthanasia and assisted suicide), the procedure was regulated by a decree published on February 2, 2022. With this revision, the request for euthanasia can be made by “a third person”, parent … Read more
Quebec: expansion of “medical assistance in dying” postponed (Canada)
In Quebec, the Minister of Health had to face the facts on Thursday: the examination of the extension of “medical assistance in dying” to patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease requires more time than the deputies had it before the end of the parliamentary session on June 10. Bill 38 consisted of about fifty articles. In … Read more
Two methods to legalize euthanasia or Medical Aid in Dying (France)
In a webinar, Henri de Soos, lawyer describes 2 methods employed to legalize euthanasia. The first one consists of multiplying the legislative proposals to stimulate a national debate and ultimately obtain a majority vote. The second method consists of obtaining a judgment from the constitutional court to oblige the government and the parliament to decriminalize … Read more