Medical Aid in Dying and the “slippery slope” argument

Medical Aid in Dying and the “slippery slope” argument 
Psychiatric Times; by Doublas W. Heinrichs, MD; 7/1/24 
Commentary: A mainstay for opponents of medical aid in dying (MAID) for the terminally ill has long been the slippery slope argument. Rather than argue directly against MAID for the terminally ill, which puts them at odds with the majority of US citizens and physicians, they argue that MAID should be rejected because it will inevitably lead to unacceptable expansions to other populations. They say it will expand from the terminally medically ill, to non-terminal medically ill patients with intractable pain and suffering, to advanced directives for dementia, to psychiatric patients with intractable mental pain and suffering, or to anyone who simply finds life unbearable. It is best, they argue, to stop this by opposing the first step. 
Editor's Note: We do not provide this article to promote this author's conclusions, but rather to raise awareness of key issues that are being examined by individuals, by healthcare professionals, and legislators in many US states and numerous international countries.