Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række
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Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. · Oct 2001
Review Comparative Study[Euthanasia in the Netherlands--and the debate in Norway].
The Netherlands is about to change the penal code so that starting in the autumn of 2001, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, will be lawful acts, provided that certain conditions are met. The concepts of "euthanasia" and "physician-assisted suicide" are defined in a detailed manner, congruent with Dutch theory and practice. In connection with these definitions, a sharp distinction is drawn between medicalized killing and withholding or withdrawing treatment, and it is demonstrated why so-called "active" and "passive" euthanasia are notions that make no sense in a Dutch context. ⋯ From the public debate in Norway, one gets the impression that all humanists defend euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Yet there are prominent humanists amongst doctors who are distinctly opposed to these practices. On the other hand, in the Netherlands, we find hospital chaplains who defend euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.