A new misco survey has found that 70% of Malta’s residents prefer palliative care that ensures a natural, pain-free death over the option of assisted suicide.
The survey, conducted between 10 and 19 June among 500 respondents, comes as the government’s public consultation on assisted voluntary euthanasia enters its final week.
The White Paper under consultation proposes allowing terminally ill patients with less than six months to live access to lethal medication to end their lives voluntarily. While the government has not committed to presenting a bill, the proposal has drawn strong objections, particularly from the Catholic Church, which opposes euthanasia on moral grounds and instead calls for strengthened palliative care.
Notably, 47% of respondents said they would consider assisted suicide if they felt they were a burden to loved ones. One-third said this would not influence their decision, while 18% were undecided.
In addition to ethical considerations, the misco survey highlighted widespread confusion about what the proposed change in law would entail. Only 60% of respondents correctly identified “assisted dying” as the voluntary administration of lethal medication to allow terminally ill individuals to end their own lives.
The remainder conflated the concept with either hospice care or the existing right to refuse life-prolonging treatment, both of which are already available under current Maltese law.
Source: Newsbook.com.mt