Opt-out organ donation

Great Debates
1

I didn’t think this was an issue, but when it was mentioned in passing in the pub last week it sparked a good hour’s worth of debate (non-slurred). So I’d be interested to see what others think:

If a country is going to run an organ donation scheme (i.e. “In the event of my death…”) is it more appropriate to have citizens opt in to this scheme, or to assume that they are part of it until and unless they opt out.

My argument: “Opt in” is bad because many well-intentioned people never get round to opting in before they die in an accident - it’s one thing to consider your early death, in an other to act like it might be next week. So a lot of perfectly valid organs go begging.

My friend’s argument: “Opt-out” is bad because of the underlying assumption that the state has rights over my body unless I specifically say otherwise. This assumption is dangerous, false and takes away my rights as an individual.

2

I am definitely pro-organ-donation (and if you’re reading and haven’t signed your card and made your wishes clear to your next of kin, go do it!) but your friend does have a point.

In my opinion, the government and the medical community should be doing more to make it easy to sign up for organ donation, and to increase public awareness of the problem–including stamping out rumors that the family will have to pay for the recovery and transport of donated organs.

3

I don’t know if there is an opt out option in my state so I’ve taped on the back of my driver’s license “Remove No Organs” and hope such will be followed. Being that the government will not permit to sell my organs (before I die of course) and does not allow me a way to make sure my organs will go to the person I want them to, I’ll just keep 'em case I need 'em sometime later.