Brown: Organ donation a yes unless otherwise stated. (choice, America)

[Terrywoodenpic]

Originally Posted by Booko

In my home state of Georgia in the U.S. we can choose to be organ donors on our driver's licenses, which makes sense for us because that's the id that most people use anyway.

But in Georgia you get your license half price if you agree to be an organ donor, so this encourages donation.

I'm surprised that relatives of the deceased could nix an organ donation in the UK. That seems very cumbersome and illogical, to say the least.

It is because in the UK the dead have no rights... rights are reserved to the living.
British law has no concept of inanimate rights.

[Jaymes]

The idea of "yes unless you say no!" makes me a bit uneasy unless the opt-out option is very easily accessible to the living.

Originally Posted by Booko

But in Georgia you get your license half price if you agree to be an organ donor, so this encourages donation.

I'm pretty sure they recently did away with that, didn't they? I seem to recall a friend of mine renewing their license and not getting the discount even though they were an organ donor.

[Jaiket]

Originally Posted by Jaymes

The idea of "yes unless you say no!" makes me a bit uneasy unless the opt-out option is very easily accessible to the living.

Why so, Jaymes?

[Jaymes]

Originally Posted by Jaiket

Why so, Jaymes?

To my knowledge consent is not assumed with anything else. Why should it be assumed with this? If it's very easy to go "no, I don't want my organs donated", and the knowledge that you can do that is wide-spread, it's not as big an issue for me.

[Jaiket]

Originally Posted by Jaymes

To my knowledge consent is not assumed with anything else. Why should it be assumed with this? If it's very easy to go "no, I don't want my organs donated", and the knowledge that you can do that is wide-spread, it's not as big an issue for me.

That's fair.

I would probably take the position that consent is irrelevant.

[Jaymes]

Originally Posted by Jaiket

That's fair.

I would probably take the position that consent is irrelevant.

Why's that?

[Jaiket]

Originally Posted by Jaymes

Why's that?

Because organ donors are dead.

Edit: To clarify, my instinct is to assume that the needs of recipients outweigh the desires of the donor, and surviving relatives.

[Ever learning]

Originally Posted by Mike182

the system at the moment is people sign up for a donor card, which is a card stating that the person consents to their organs being donated - then in the event that they die, the question goes to their next of kin who can veto or confirm that consent.

what Brown is arguing is that people's consent for donating their organs should be assumed unless they (or their parent/guardian if they are under 16) specifically sign up to say they do not consent. the option to withdraw consent would be freely available.

I think that is a great idea, considering that not many people do get around to sign an Organ donor card.