Assisted suicide – an alternative for Germany?

Until last year assisted suicide was not regulated in Germany. It was, within certain limits, not prohibited although this fact was widely unknown. Over the last years organisations and individuals offered suicide assistance and became more and more popular. Therefore the government planned to change the law in order to regulate the uncontrolled development of organized assisted suicide. The legislative process was proceeded by an intense and emotional debate in media, public and politics. Data from The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Oregon can help to evaluate the consequences of legalising euthanasia and/or assisted suicide. They demonstrate a steady increase in numbers and indications. They also show that safeguards that were implemented to prevent malpractice or abuse of vulnerable people fail on a large scale. There is no reason to believe that these safeguards work better in Germany than in other countries. Bioethical concepts provide arguments for proponents as well as for opponents of legalisation of euthanasia and/or assisted suicide. If assisted suicide does not seem to be an alternative for Germany then another options have to be offered. Only one day before the vote for the law on assisted suicide a law was passed that ensures support and financing of palliative medicine and hospice care. These are better alternatives for end-of-life care than assisted suicide.