World News for Students of English

02-06-2025 07:00

France’s National Assembly has voted in favor of a new bill that would allow adults with incurable illnesses to choose assisted dying.

The vote passed with 305 lawmakers supporting it and 199 against. The bill will now move to the Senate for more discussion, but it could take months before a final vote is made. Assisted dying would be possible only under strict conditions. The patient must be over 18, be French or live in France, and have an advanced illness that causes severe pain and cannot be treated. The request must come from the patient and be confirmed after a time of reflection. Only those who physically cannot take the medication themselves would receive help from a doctor or nurse.

Another law about palliative care, which aims to reduce pain and protect patient dignity, was also passed. Support for end-of-life options has increased in France in recent years, though debate continues, and some activists believe the legal process is too slow.

Difficult words: incurable (a disease that cannot be cured), reflection (a short time to think carefully before making a decision), palliative care (care that helps with pain but doesn’t cure an illness).

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