France is proposing to allow terminally ill patients to take lethal medication

PARIS (AP) — France’s government has presented a bill to allow adults with terminal cancer or other end-of-life illness to take lethal medication. Polls show growing public demand in France for legal options for aid in dying. Many French people have traveled to neighboring countries to seek such medication. Under the new proposal, doctors would need to confirm that the patient has a grave and incurable illness, is suffering from intolerable and untreatable pain, and is seeking lethal medication of their own free will. Those with severe psychiatric conditions and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease won’t be eligible. The bill now goes to parliament for debate.