Tuscany sets signs: Say goodbye to the first law for assisted suicide!

Tuscany was the first Region to pass a controversial law on medically assisted suicide in Italy. After a two -day debate on Tuesday evening, the regional council approved the proposal, which sets clear time frames and responsibilities for access to this procedure. If seriously ill people turn to their local health authorities, a maximum of 37 days must pass before approval for suicide is granted. This was initiated by the Luca-Coscioni Foundation, which advocates the rights of seriously ill people. The costs for the procedure are borne by the public sector, whereby a total of 30,000 euros are planned in the first three years, as the Ärzte Zeitung reports.

sharp criticism from the church

The law met with violent criticism, especially on the part of the Catholic Church. Cardinal Augusto Paolo Lojudice, the chairman of the Tuscan Bishops' Conference, described the new regulation as "a defeat for everyone" and warned of an incomprehensible development that could also find imitators in other regions. Lojudice emphasized the moral and ethical consequences and found that one should not legitimize what was objectively not correct. Despite these concerns, he said that the church did not want to wage any "war" against the law. He asked everyone who are faced with illness and death to continue to convey hope and life and not to give up. The entire process of approval and execution of assisted suicide is intended to ensure that the decision is not made in a legal gray area, as the