(NewMax) – Most Americans believe euthanasia should be made legal, and that a doctor should be allowed to end his patient’s life by painless means should that person request it, a new Gallup poll finds.
The numbers of people in favor of the practice has climbed steadily from the 1940s and 1950s, when most people thought it should be illegal:
- 69 percent now favor the practice;
- 36 percent favored it in 1950;
- 1973 marked the first time Gallup found Americans favored the measure;
- 1990, 65 percent approved;
- 51 percent say they would consider ending their lives if faced with terminal illness;
- About half of Americans say doctor-assisted suicide is morally acceptable
Over the past 25 years, Americans have remained solidly in favor of euthanasia, with between 64-75 percent favoring the practice. CONTINUE