Professor Desmond O'Neill:

Yes, but I am not sure how much one has to elaborate. There was a very helpful article in The New Yorkera year or two ago which showed the distress caused. We are beginning to see - I spoke about this at the beginning - suicide of the sort we very clearly wish to stop. Supporting the person is very much becoming the focus and a topic. This is perhaps one of the most distressing and predictable parts of the equation in respect of human suffering. With the type of suicide of which we know, we are always mindful of our efforts. In dealing with poverty, cancer, etc., we will always be left with some problems, but there ought to be an impulse to do better. What we are talking about undermines this concept and permits the view that the suffering in question is worse than death. We know from people who have gone through this that they are glad they did not commit suicide. It is deeply troubling and cannot be air-brushed away.