Professor David Albert Jones has published a paper which concludes that there is no reduction in non-assisted suicides in jurisdictions that have legalised euthanasia or assisted suicide (EAS), relative to the most similar non-EAS neighbour and, in some cases, there is a relative and/or an absolute increase in non-assisted suicide. The abstract reads:
It has been argued that, paradoxically, legalising euthanasia or assisted suicide (EAS) might save lives. If people had the security of knowing that these were options then they might not take their lives prematurely. However, data from the United States demonstrates that assisted suicide is associated with a significant increase in total suicide (inclusive of assisted suicide) and no reduction in non- assisted suicide. In contrast, Lowe and Downie have asserted, reassuringly, that after EAS was introduced in Europe, “non-assisted suicide rates have remained constant or decreased”. This paper shows that when European data are placed in the context of (1) neighbouring non-EAS countries; (2) relevant dates; (3) deaths by EAS; and (4) separate data for men and women, then the prima facie data are not reassuring. Introducing EAS is followed by considerable increases in suicide (inclusive of assisted suicide) and in intentional self-initiated death. There is no reduction in non-assisted suicide relative to the most similar non-EAS neighbour and, in some cases, there is a relative and/or an absolute increase in non-assisted suicide. Furthermore, the data from Europe and from the U.S. indicate that it is women who have most been placed at risk of avoidable premature death