Latest poll shows 85% of Australians support assisted dying
A special Roy Morgan Snap SMS Survey was conducted on the night of 2 November, 2017 with a representative cross-section of 1,386 Australians aged 18+. Respondents were asked: “If a hopelessly ill patient with no chance of recovering asks for a lethal dose, should a doctor be allowed to give a lethal dose, or not?”
The survey found that 85% of Australians are in favour of allowing a doctor to ‘give a lethal dose when a patient is hopelessly ill with no chance of recovery and asks for a lethal dose’ compared to 15% who say a doctor should ‘not be allowed to give a lethal dose’.
Michele Levine, Chief Executive Officer, Roy Morgan Research, concluded:
“….Although the question of euthanasia has always provoked a great deal of debate, the views of the Australian public has decisively moved in favour of the action over the last two decades….Today’s results show that, although the Victorian euthanasia legislation is the first time an Australian State has passed legislation allowing euthanasia, the State Government is unlikely to suffer any political fallout from the move.”
In 1962 when Roy Morgan first asked this question the population was divided – more favouring allowing a doctor to give a lethal dose (47%) than not (39%) and 14% undecided. Support increased consistently over the years to 1996. Those in favour in the 2017 survey has increased 11% from the May 1996 survey, and those who are opposed is down 3% from the same survey.