Several draft bills have been put forward in favour of euthanasia in Portugal. The Portuguese Parliament must debate and vote on these bills on 29 May.
In the lead-up to these debates, the Portuguese Marketing Research Institute (MRI) called for a survey on palliative care and euthanasia on the Portuguese platform, “Pensar e Debater”. The results were published on 18 May.
They show that only 7% of the Portuguese population are in favour of euthanasia compared to 89% who advocate palliative care and patient support in the event of a serious disease.
This survey highlights the main concerns of people whose lives are drawing to a close:
- 72% are afraid of suffering,
- 61% are afraid of being a burden to family and friends,
- 35% are afraid of being alone.
It shows that 85% of the Portuguese people interviewed want support more than anything else. The vast majority (73%) know that palliative care helps to minimise physical and mental suffering. Three-quarters of those interviewed (75%) did not know that patients have the right to refuse care and that Portuguese legislation prohibits prolonged artificial life support. Last but not least, 67% of people interviewed believe that legalisation would pose risks of abuse: pressure on the elderly or vulnerable (67%), euthanasia without the patient’s consent (57%) and financial risks (53%).
IEB (23/05/2018) – 89 % des Portugais préfèrent les soins palliatifs à l’euthanasie