SPUC members held a vigil outside the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in London on Friday to show their concern at proposals to advertise abortion on television. Participants were led by Anne Fearon of Crosby, Merseyside, who said: "SPUC members from all over the country are anxious to have their voice heard. Whilst abortion providers would have plenty of money to pay for advertising, the pro-life groups would not be able to afford to advertise the alternatives to abortion." Sponsorship for the vigil will go towards SPUC's campaign against the ASA's proposal. [SPUC, 22 June]
Doctors are reported to be opposing the ASA's proposal. Dr Mark Pickering, a general practitioner in York, northern England, said: "Allowing abortion services to advertise on TV would then be saying, 'Here is a quick medical fix for the consequences of having sex.' That is giving all the wrong messages and is very disturbing." Doctors are expected to speak out against the proposals at the representative meeting of the British Medical Association (BMA) which starts this weekend. [Daily Mail, 21 June]
It has been revealed that some of the Britons who received assistance with suicide at a Swiss centre did not have terminal or severe illnesses. Two of the late Britons who died at the Dignitas centre in Zurich had Crohn's disease, two had tetraplegia, three had kidney disease, and one had rheumatoid arthritis. Doctors' leaders expressed concern at the revelations. [Guardian, 21 June]
A woman with multiple sclerosis who pioneered a new treatment for the disease has committed suicide. Cari Loder, 48, has been diagnosed with the disease aged 31. She died by inhaling helium gas that she had ordered online. [Telegraph, 21 June]
The Voluntary Euthanasia Society, which now calls itself Dignity in Dying, has claimed that it does not campaign for euthanasia or suicide. Sarah Wootton, the group's chief executive, also said that her group supports so-called assisted dying only for those who "are already dying". [Guardian, 22 June] Ms Wootton worked formerly at the pro-abortion Family Planning Association (FPA) and was a founding trustee of Abortion Rights. [Dignity in Dying website]