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<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000 size=2>Take a look at the amazing stats in
this article. Original saved as PDF for when they correct it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000 size=2>My comments at <A
href="http://www.theotokos.co.za/blog/post/medical/115/Quality-South-African-surveys">http://www.theotokos.co.za/blog/post/medical/115/Quality-South-African-surveys</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000 size=2>SK</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Most of SA accepts euthanasia, study finds - August
29 2005 at 04:43PM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=125&art_id=qw1125317886470B261">http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=125&art_id=qw1125317886470B261</A>
<BR> <BR>Family members should be allowed to switch off the life support
system of a brain-dead person, say 70 percent of adults approached in a recent
survey.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But half of them opposed active euthanasia,
indicated the poll results released on Monday.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The telephonic survey was conducted by Research
Surveys among 493 adults in urban areas last month.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Said researcher Neil Higgs: "There is a fair amount
of agreement that, if a person is on life support and brain-dead, her or his
husband or wife or family member should be allowed to make the decision to turn
off the life support system."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Religion also played a significant role in
responses </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The first question posed to respondents was whether
a patient's family should be allowed to turn off life support systems if the
individual had been declared brain-dead.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Seventy percent of those who agreed were
Christians, 89 percent Muslims or Hindus, 65 percent Ancestral or other, while
58 percent of the respondents had no religion. <FONT color=#ff0000>[SK:
70% + 89% + 65% + 58% = 282%]</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"Clearly, one's culture plays a notable role in
one's views on this question," Higgs said.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Religion also played a significant role in
responses, but gender had no impact.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>On the issue of the right to die when terminally
ill, people were "sharply divided", said Higgs.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Half of those questioned agreed people should never
be allowed to take their own life, even if they were terminally ill and in
considerable pain.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Almost 60 percent of people holding this view were
black, 35 percent white, 56 percent Indian and 47 percent coloured. <FONT
color=#ff0000>[SK: 60% + 35% + 56% + 47% = 198%]</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Forty-four percent of respondents disagreed with
the statement. <FONT color=#ff0000>[SK: and what about the other
93%?? Do they agree? And the remaining 76% are
neutral?]</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"On this clearly contentious issue, differences
between the race groups are very strong, but it is interesting to note that
differences between different religions are not evident."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>He said people older than 46 were more likely to
disagree with the statement.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The third statement put to the respondents was that
a terminally ill person had the right to die with medical assistance from
doctors.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Forty-six percent of the respondents agreed with
this, while 51 percent disagreed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Of those who agreed, 37 percent was Black, 60
percent was white, Indians constituted 50 percent of those who agreed and 49
percent was Coloured.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"Again, differences in response between religions
are not evident. Neither are there any age or gender differences."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Higgs concluded it was relatively acceptable for
the life support of a brain-dead patient to be turned off, but taking one's life
even in extremes remained controversial.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"Culture plays a major role in shaping one's views
on these issues, but religion, perhaps surprisingly, plays a much lesser role,"
said Higgs. - Sapa <BR> <BR></FONT></DIV>
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