From the archive: Death on demand: has euthanasia gone too far?
This Guardian article examines how euthanasia has evolved in the Netherlands since its 2002 legalization, exploring concerns about expanding eligibility criteria and potential negative consequences. The author, motivated by personal experience with suicide, investigates whether the practice has gone beyond its original intent of helping terminal cancer patients.
Summary
Christopher de Bellaigue's investigation into Dutch euthanasia practices reveals a complex picture of how legalized assisted dying has evolved since 2002. The article follows Dr. Bert Kaiser, a philosopher-turned-physician who works at the End of Life Clinic, which facilitated 750 euthanasias in 2017. Kaiser describes a new era where people can die while being touched and surrounded by loved ones, contrasting this with isolated suicide. The Netherlands has seen euthanasia numbers rise from under 2,000 in 2007 to 6,600 in 2017, with over a quarter of all Dutch deaths being induced through various means including euthanasia and palliative sedation. Critics like ethics professor Theo Boer, who served on regional review boards, argue that the practice has expanded beyond its original scope for terminal cancer patients to include dementia sufferers, mentally ill young people, and others with substantial life expectancy. Controversial cases include patients with advance directives for dementia who resist when the time comes, and young people like Ilko de Gouger, who was euthanized for mental illness. The article explores the tension between individual autonomy and societal protection of vulnerable lives, noting that some doctors are becoming reluctant to perform the procedure amid concerns about becoming 'no-questions-asked purveyors of dignified death.' The piece also examines unintended consequences, including cases where family members were excluded from the process or pressured patients, and discusses proposed 'completed life' legislation that would allow anyone over 70 to receive lethal medication without medical oversight.
About this episode
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: Countries around the world are making it easier to choose the time and manner of your death. But doctors in the world’s euthanasia capital are starting to worry about the consequences. By Christopher de Bellaigue. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>
Key Insights
- Dr. Bert Kaiser argues that euthanasia represents a revolutionary development allowing people to die while being touched and in the company of others, fundamentally different from isolated suicide
- Theo Boer contends that Dutch euthanasia has expanded far beyond its original intent for terminal cancer patients to include people who might live for decades, including dementia and mental illness cases
- The author observes that over a quarter of all Dutch deaths in 2017 were induced through euthanasia, assisted suicide, or palliative sedation, indicating widespread normalization of medically-facilitated death
- Critics argue that advance directives for dementia create an ethical problem by subordinating an irrational present self to a rational former self, essentially splitting one person into two opposing entities
- Some Dutch doctors report feeling pressured by assertive patients who demand euthanasia and resent any physician reluctance, leading some practitioners to stop performing the procedure entirely
- The Levenseinde Clinic receives €3,000 from insurance companies for each euthanasia procedure, raising questions about financial incentives in end-of-life care
- The author found that the current Dutch system excludes family members from the decision-making process due to autonomy concerns, potentially causing psychological harm to relatives who cannot intervene
- Despite rhetoric about personal autonomy, 95% of those seeking to end their lives still ask doctors to administer fatal doses rather than taking lethal medication themselves, suggesting continued dependence on medical authority
Topics
Transcript
This is The Guardian. Do yourself a favor. Download the Jerry app or head to jerry.ai slash ACAST. The Guardian Archive Long Read. Hello, my name is Christopher de Beleg and I'm the author of Death on Demand. Has euthanasia gone too far? Which was published in The Guardian. In 2019. What drew me to the story of euthanasia in the first place. I suppose is a very long process. Because my mother committed suicide when I was very young. And it took many years for me to process and think that through. And the relationship between euthanasia and suicide is obviously a very close one. Then I started to get a strong sense that the Netherlands was the kind…
Full transcript available for MurmurCast members
Sign Up to AccessMore from The Audio Long Read
On the trail with the hunters who believe shooting big game can save Africa’s wildlife
Cal Flynn's article explores the paradox of trophy hunting in Africa's Nyassa Special Reserve, where killing wild animals generates revenue that funds conservation efforts. Through firsthand observation of a buffalo hunt and interviews with conservancy director Derek Littleton, Flynn examines how hunting income sustains anti-poaching operations and local communities. The piece questions whether this morally uncomfortable system can or should be replaced, given its apparent effectiveness.
From the archive: Putin, Trump, Ukraine: how Timothy Snyder became the leading interpreter of our dark times
This Guardian Long Read profiles Timothy Snyder, a Yale historian of Eastern Europe who became a prominent public intellectual through his warnings about Trump's authoritarian tendencies and his deep engagement with the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The piece examines his background, his controversial but often prescient predictions, and the tensions between his roles as academic historian and political activist. It also explores criticism from both the left and right about his rhetorical style and ideological positioning.
How to survive the information crisis: ‘We once talked about fake news – now reality itself feels fake’
Guardian Editor-in-Chief Katherine Viner argues that interconnected global crises — environmental, political, economic, and informational — are being driven and compounded by digital technology designed to fragment attention and stoke conflict. She contends that transparently funded, human-centered journalism serves as essential civic infrastructure to counter these forces. The Guardian's reader-supported model is presented as both a practical solution and a political act in defense of shared reality.
Stateside with Kai and Carter: Stacey Abrams on why gutting of the US Voting Rights Act is ‘evil’
Hosts Kai Wright and Carter Sherman of The Guardian's 'Stateside' podcast interview Stacey Abrams about the Supreme Court's gutting of the Voting Rights Act through Louisiana v. Calais. Abrams frames the ruling not as a partisan issue but as a move toward authoritarianism, arguing that while the decision is 'evil,' it has misread the moment and that determination — not optimism — must drive the response. She outlines strategies including court battles, voter registration, coalition building, and ultimately a new constitutional amendment affirming an explicit right to vote.
‘Lawrence is karma’: the gangster who became an icon of Modi’s India
This Guardian Long Read profiles Lawrence Bishnoi, India's most notorious gangster, who has orchestrated high-profile murders and international assassinations from inside a high-security prison. The article explores how Bishnoi rose from a privileged rural background through violent student politics to become a celebrity criminal icon in Modi's India, allegedly with links to the Indian government's covert operations targeting Sikh separatists abroad.