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From cancer to dementia, kidney disease, and much more, there are all sorts of medical complications that can eventually engender terminal illness in individuals.

Typically, when someone learns they have an incurable disease with no hope for recovery, they suffer not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. No one ever wants to get this news, especially when there are things they still want to do with their lives.

Various cases of terminal illness have ultimately led to debates about whether or not individuals in this boat have the right to end their own lives. While some countries like Canada embrace end-of-life assistance or assisted suicide, the practice remains outlawed in other nations.

However, in Scotland, citizens have shown considerable support for helping the terminally ill end their own lives if this is what they want.

A groundbreaking new YouGov poll

In a brand new poll by YouGov, 77% of Scottish residents support a bill that would permit helping terminally ill individuals end their lives, instead of them having to suffer and die in a drawn-out and often painful way.

Only 12% of Scots in the poll cited opposition to the assisted dying bill that's heading to the country's parliament.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur has also spoken in favor of legalizing assisted dying in Scotland.

McArthur stated compassionate end-of-life care will spare the terminally ill from forcibly dying in distressing manners. Though he also clearly stressed the importance of safeguards for helping the terminally ill in this manner.

Scottish Parliament members across all national parties, interestingly enough, also favor legalizing assisted dying.

Pushback from Scotland's religious and disabilities rights organizations

While much of the Scottish parliament and the nation's residents believe in end-of-life care, religious groups and organizations centered around disabilities rights maintain very different outlooks.

These folks contend that legalized assisted dying could lead to terminally ill persons being pressured to accept help with death.

The aforementioned organizations also made the case that the bill set to go before Scottish parliament is wrong and poses a slippery slope. Here, they believe poor or otherwise vulnerable individuals may feel compelled to prematurely end their lives.