Should doctors be allowed to help terminally ill people end their lives? Comment on Facebook.

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A new poll says 87 per cent of British Columbians support assisted dying, while across Canada 84 per cent of respondents think doctors should be allowed to help terminally ill people end their lives.

The survey, released ahead of a Supreme Court case hearing next week, was commissioned by Dying with Dignity Canada and conducted by Ipsos Reid.

It asked Canadians if a doctor should be able to help someone end their life if the person is a competent adult who is terminally ill, suffering unbearably and repeatedly asks for assistance to die.

Support for assisted dying is highest in Nova Scotia at 89 per cent, followed by B.C. at 87 per cent and Ontario at 85 per cent. Support is lowest in the rest of Atlantic Canada (80 per cent) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (79 per cent).

Individuals from the disability community (those who are severely physically disabled and unable to carry out the basic activities of daily living without assistance) are 85 per cent in support of medically assisted dying, the poll found, as were those that worked in the health profession.

The poll also found 80 per cent of all Christians support assisted dying, including 83 per cent of Catholics.

Nine in 10 (91 per cent) agree that a person should not be forced to endure drawn-out suffering, and a similar proportion (91 per cent) agree that palliative care is not enough.

The Ipsos Reid survey was conducted between Aug. 21 to 29. The results are accurate to within plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

ticrawford@vancouversun.com