PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - C J Ryan
TI  - Pulling up the runaway: the effect of new evidence on euthanasia's slippery slope.
AID  - 10.1136/jme.24.5.341
DP  - 1998 Oct 01
TA  - Journal of Medical Ethics
PG  - 341--344
VI  - 24
IP  - 5
4099  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/24/5/341.short
4100  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/24/5/341.full
SO  - J Med Ethics1998 Oct 01; 24
AB  - The slippery slope argument has been the mainstay of many of those opposed to the legalisation of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. In this paper I re-examine the slippery slope in the light of two recent studies that examined the prevalence of medical decisions concerning the end of life in the Netherlands and in Australia. I argue that these two studies have robbed the slippery slope of the source of its power--its intuitive obviousness. Finally I propose that, contrary to the warnings of the slippery slope, the available evidence suggests that the legalisation of physician-assisted suicide might actually decrease the prevalence of non-voluntary and involuntary euthanasia.