Physician Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

Physician assisted suicide and euthanasia have been controversial for quite a long time. Only two of the fifty states have legalized physician-assisted suicide, which include Oregon, Washington. In Montana though, the laws protect doctors but do not permit physician-assisted suicide.

Oregon was the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. In 1997, Oregon passed the Death with Dignity Act, “which allows terminally ill state residents to receive prescriptions for self-administrated lethal medications” (E. Chin, 1999). This act does not permit euthanasia though. The law requires that the patient be an adult resident that is able to communicate and make decisions. Also they have to have an illness that is expecting to lead to death within the next six months. All prescriptions that are written have to be reported to the Oregon Health Division. Because of the act, physicians and patients are protected from criminal prosecution.

In 1998, information was gathered for the first year of the act being legalized in Oregon. “Twenty three persons who received prescriptions for lethal medications under the Death with Dignity Act were reported to the Oregon Health Division” (E. Chin, 1999). Out of the 23 persons, 15 of them died after taking the prescription, 6 died from their illness and 2 were alive as of the January of 1999. “Eighteen of the 21 prescription recipients had cancer; 12 of the 18 had lung, ovarian, or breast cancer” (E. Chin, 1999). The main concern expressed by the patients was loss of autonomy and loss of control of bodily functions. Many of the patients did not want to be dependent on family members or other to take care of them. Of the “171 people known to have used medical assistance to end their lives under the Oregon law since 1997” (Saunders, 2005), “only 22% listed fear of inadequate pain control as their reason for choosing suicide” (Saunders, 2005). The other 87% stated that it was fear of losing autonomy that made them choose suicide.

In 2008, Washington became the second state to pass a law to allow physician assisted suicide. Initiative 1000 or the “Washington Death with Dignity Act” is patterned off of the Oregon act and allows doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication to terminally ill patients. Like the Oregon act, patients must be an adult resident of Washington and have six or less months to live. Also they have to be competent and able to express his or her wish to die. All prescriptions prescribed are recorded and used for statistical purposes for the state. In 1919, initiative 119 was rejected which would of allowed doctors to prescribe lethal dosages but “would also have allowed them to administer lethal injections to terminally ill patients who weren’t able to take their medication on their own” (Tu, 2008). Doctors are protected under initiative 1000 from being suede or prosecuted for administrating the drugs.