The debate about physician-assisted suicide in Del., NJ, Pa.

On this episode of Studio 2, we look at the latest developments in the debate over assisted suicide.  

A bill in Delaware that would offer a regulated option for terminally ill patients has advanced to Gov. Matt Meyer’s desk after years of emotional debates and partisan disagreements. Former Delaware Gov. John Carney vetoed a similar bill last year on moral grounds.

New Jersey legalized physician-assisted suicide in 2019 and advocates there are currently pushing to loosen access restrictions further.  The idea has gotten less traction in Pennsylvania’s divided government.

So, where should we draw the line? In Switzerland, for instance, anyone of sound mind over age 18 can receive suicide assistance. A recent Wall St. Journal article documented how the renowned Princeton University psychologist Daniel Kahneman used that option to end his life at 90 without a terminally-ill diagnosis.

Is allowing that access a bridge too far?

Guests:

Paul Baumbach, retired Delaware State Representative

Dr. Daniel Sulmasy, director of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University