When is a Request for Assisted Suicide Legitimate? Factors Influencing Public Attitudes Toward Euthanasia

This survey of 80 Greater Vancouver residents investigated how the public’s acceptance pf a request for euthanasia was influenced by the method of death & by the identity of the patient. Life-support withdrawal was found to be more favourable than lethal injection, yet the identity of the person did not affect acceptability of euthanasia. A factor analysis suggested that decisions about oneself may be more complex & more closely scrutinized than decisions about others.