PULLING UP THE RUNAWAY - THE EFFECT OF NEW EVIDENCE ON EUTHANASIAS SLIPPERY SLOPE

The slippery slope argument has been the mainstay of many of those opp osed to the legalisation of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. In this paper I re-examine the slippery slope in the light of two rec ent studies that examined the prevalence of medical decisions concerni ng the end of life in the Netherlands and in Australia. I argue that t hese two studies have robbed the slippery slope of the source of its p ower - its intuitive obviousness. Finally I propose that, contrary to the warnings of the slippery slope, the available evidence suggests th at the legalisation of physician-assisted suicide might actually decre ase the prevalence of non-voluntary and involuntary euthanasia.