Grand Canyon Crowding

Oregon Woman Takes Advantage of Assisted Suicide Law

(Abridged Story)

From a news story by
CNN San Francisco Reporter Don Knapp

3/25/98

Assisted suicide means that a very ill person can get medicine to help them die. In Oregon, this is not against the law. A woman with cancer took medicine to help her die. Her family was with her, and she left an audio tape. She was asked "How do you feel about dying?" She said "I'm looking forward to it." She said she was in pain and no longer able to do the things she enjoyed, such as gardening. She said it wasn't right for her to have to sit in a chair waiting to die. She was always active and now she can't even walk and she has trouble breathing.

A woman who helped pass the assisted suicide law in Oregon said that the woman with cancer took some medicine to prevent vomiting. Then she took barbiturates. She fell asleep right away.

A doctor prescribed the medicine for her. Under Oregon law, doctors may give the medicine to help people die. The patient must be sure they want to die and have less than six months to live.

The woman with cancer talked to three doctors before finding one to help her die. Her first doctor said he would not help her. She went to another doctor who said he was not against assisted suicide, but would not help her.

Finally, a third doctor was willing to help.

The Oregon law is called the Death with Dignity Act. It was passed in 1994 by Oregon voters. It was voted on again in 1997, and passed again.

Oregon's Roman Catholic Church fought the law. One archbishop said "We are very fearful more people are going to feel that what we are trying to tell them is it's better to die than to burden us with your weakened life. That's a great fear I personally have."

This woman died 5 months after Oregon's Death with Dignity Act was passed. It was the first official assisted suicide under the law.

Additional notes:

The law has been challenged in Oregon courts. Lawmakers in Washington D.C. tried to prevent the law from going into effect, but they couldn't. Lawmakers in Oregon made the people vote a second time to make sure they wanted to pass the law. It was passed again.

For a list of Internet sites about this topic go to: http://www.lwc.edu/administrative/library/suic.htm