Public opinions of physician-assisted suicide: The role of ageism in acceptance

The current debate concerning physician-assisted suicide (PAS) provided an opportunity to investigate the impact of ageist attitudes on older Canadians. The 2000 Winnipeg Area Study, a telephone survey conducted by the University of Manitoba of 750 Winnipeggers aged 18 and over, was used to gather data. Three research questions about the acceptability of PAS guided the study. Ageism was measured using Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz and a split-half design that varied the target person as either old (80 years) or young (40 years). Findings revealed that males, younger respondents, and the No Preference religious group were more likely to find PAS acceptable. There was a trend toward greater acceptance of PAS for older target persons.