Spanish lawmakers this week introduced a bill to allow assisted suicide in the country, taking a critical step to make Spain one of the few countries in the world where terminally ill patients can choose to end it. make their lives.
The bill voted on by lawmakers was first presented in February and aims to remove an aspect of the Spanish criminal code that prohibits anyone from assisting in the death of a terminally ill person.
The bill passed by 198-138 votes in the lower chamber of the Spanish Parliament and is now moving to the Senate, where it is expected to be passed, according to The New York Times.
The law allows a patient to choose between euthanasia by a health care provider or assisted suicide, which they could do themselves at home by taking a prescription drug that would end their life.
Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland already have laws that legalize assisted suicide, while several states in the US have facilities for terminally ill patients.
Assisted suicide continues to be fiercely contested around the world, including in Spain, where protesters gathered in Madrid this week to oppose the law by beating drums.