Dutch gov't launches campaign to promote "good discussion about death"

The Dutch government launched an information campaign this week to help incurably ill people talk about death with their loved ones. The campaign is aimed at having a good conversation about how people want to go through the final phase of their life, Minister Hugo de Jonge of Public Health, Welfare and Sports said to newspaper Trouw.

"I want people to think much more about what they want. To express how they want to be supported in the last period. That they can die in the place they choose. It makes dying less difficult, less lonely, less painful", the Minister said.

The government launched a special website with practical tips on how to start and hold such a conversation. This involves tips on creating a will, and talking about the end of your life with your family. "The conversation about the end of life is difficult", De Jonge said. "It doesn't seem to fit into our Instagram society. But it is extremely important that we give death the place it deserves, as a fully fledged part of life."

The campaign motto is: "I have been told that I am going to die, but I will live until then."

This campaign is not about euthanasia, De Jonge said. Most people do not die a chosen death, but a natural one. The government wants to support that group with this campaign.