LONDON, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- A British organization called The Society for Old Age Rational Suicide says it wants legal assisted-suicide for elderly people who are not terminally ill.
Dr. Michael Irwin, 79, known as "Dr. Death" in England, says a national poll found 67 percent of those questioned agreed that very elderly mentally competent people should receive a physician's assistance if they choose to end their lives, The Daily Telegraph said Monday.
Many very elderly people have decided they've lived their life and believe they should have the option of doctor-assisted suicide even though they are not terminally ill, the report said.
A court case last year involving a woman suffering from multiple sclerosis forced prosecutors to set more detailed guidelines for prosecuting doctors charged in assisted-suicide for people with non-terminal illnesses, the newspaper said. A terminal illness is defined as having six months or less to live.
The Telegraph said Irwin, partly because of his age, was granted immunity from prosecution after helping several elderly patients commit suicide earlier this year.
