This is very good news for dying patients and their families. A new study has been released demonstrating that pain control using opioids (narcotics) in end of life care “poses an extremely small risk of hastened death in this population [hospice patients].”
The results of this study undermines the pro-euthanasia meme that using strong pain control often leads to earlier death, and hence intentional mercy killing is little different than treating pain. Moreover, and more urgently, it should make doctors less reluctant to aggressively treat pain, which remains a problem in the clinical setting. For as the study points out:“Undertreatment of pain is a far more pressing concern than is the risk of hastened death in those with advanced disease, and physicians should be encouraged to use opioids effectively to relieve suffering at the end of life.”
You have a decision to make: double or nothing.
For this week only, a generous supporter has offered to fully match all new and increased donations to First Things up to $60,000.
In other words, your gift of $50 unlocks $100 for First Things, your gift of $100 unlocks $200, and so on, up to a total of $120,000. But if you don’t give, nothing.
So what will it be, dear reader: double, or nothing?
Make your year-end gift go twice as far for First Things by giving now.
