France, April 11 -- France's government has presented a controversial bill on assisted dying that would allow terminally ill patients to take lethal medication, as public demands grow for legal options for aid in dying.

French people seeking to end their lives are travelling to neighbouring countries, such as Belgium or Switzerland, where medically assisted suicide is legal.

In early March, President Emmanuel Macronannounced that a "French-style" bill was in the pipeline, with strict conditions for accessing aid in dying, though he refrained from using the terms assisted suicide or euthanasia.

Sketching out the contours of the future law on Wednesday, health Minister Catherine Vautrin said it provided for the introduction of "aid in dy...