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    J Med Ethics. 1998 Oct;24(5):341-4.

    Pulling up the runaway: the effect of new evidence on euthanasia's slippery slope.

    Source

    Westmead Hospital, NSW, Australia.

    Abstract

    The slippery slope argument has been the mainstay of many of those opposed to the legalisation of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. In this paper I re-examine the slippery slope in the light of two recent studies that examined the prevalence of medical decisions concerning the end of life in the Netherlands and in Australia. I argue that these two studies have robbed the slippery slope of the source of its power--its intuitive obviousness. Finally I propose that, contrary to the warnings of the slippery slope, the available evidence suggests that the legalisation of physician-assisted suicide might actually decrease the prevalence of non-voluntary and involuntary euthanasia.

    Comment in

    PMID:
    9800591
    [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
    PMCID:
    PMC1377611
    Free PMC Article

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