Oregon has won for now.....
The Supreme Court rules in favor of Oregon's physician-assisted-suicidelaw in a 6-to-3 decision. The justices find the state has the right toallow doctors to prescribe lethal doses of drugs for terminally ill,mentally sound patients. The court also finds that the Bushadministration, through the actions of the U.S. attorney general, hadin effect criminalized the practice without the authorization ofCongress.
Justice Kennedy delivered the opinion of the Court, inwhich Stevens, O’Connor, Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer joined. Scaliafiled the dissenting opinion, in which Roberts and Thomas joined.
Thisruling puts this issue in the states hands, and that is a great victoryon this issue, at least in my opinion. In the last seven years, 208people died by doctor assisted suicide. This is an unremarkable numberconsidering in 2004, 40 doctors wrote a total of 60 prescriptions forlethal doses of barbiturates. The prescription total fell from 68 theyear before -- the first decrease since doctor-assisted suicide becamelegal in Oregon.
Of the 60 Oregonians who received aprescription for a lethal dose last year, 35 died after taking thedrug. Two other patients died in 2004 after taking a drug prescribedfor them the year before. Of the 25 who did not ingest the medication,13 died from their illnesses, and the other 12 remained alive by theend of the year.
In Oregon, it is legal for a doctor toprescribe a lethal dose to a terminally ill patient of sound mind whorequests it orally and in writing, with two witnesses. Another doctormust confirm that the patient has a life expectancy of less than sixmonths. By law, the patient must swallow the drug; it cannot beadministered by a doctor.
Most patients who choose assistedsuicide have terminal cancer. A few are dying of AIDS or amyotrophiclateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
College graduates are eight times as likely as those without a high school diploma to die by doctor-assisted suicide.
Of the 37 Oregonians who died by assisted suicide last year, only one lived east of the Cascades.
Allbut one patient died at home -- the exception dying in anassisted-living center. All used a quick-acting barbiturate, and noneregained consciousness after taking the drug.
Three patients vomited part of the medication, but all three died within 31 hours.
Halfthe patients became unconscious within five minutes, and all within 30minutes. Half died within 25 minutes, and all within 31 hours.
It’s not about suicide as much as it is end of life comfort.
Justice Kennedy delivered the opinion of the Court, inwhich Stevens, O’Connor, Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer joined. Scaliafiled the dissenting opinion, in which Roberts and Thomas joined.
Thisruling puts this issue in the states hands, and that is a great victoryon this issue, at least in my opinion. In the last seven years, 208people died by doctor assisted suicide. This is an unremarkable numberconsidering in 2004, 40 doctors wrote a total of 60 prescriptions forlethal doses of barbiturates. The prescription total fell from 68 theyear before -- the first decrease since doctor-assisted suicide becamelegal in Oregon.
Of the 60 Oregonians who received aprescription for a lethal dose last year, 35 died after taking thedrug. Two other patients died in 2004 after taking a drug prescribedfor them the year before. Of the 25 who did not ingest the medication,13 died from their illnesses, and the other 12 remained alive by theend of the year.
In Oregon, it is legal for a doctor toprescribe a lethal dose to a terminally ill patient of sound mind whorequests it orally and in writing, with two witnesses. Another doctormust confirm that the patient has a life expectancy of less than sixmonths. By law, the patient must swallow the drug; it cannot beadministered by a doctor.
Most patients who choose assistedsuicide have terminal cancer. A few are dying of AIDS or amyotrophiclateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
College graduates are eight times as likely as those without a high school diploma to die by doctor-assisted suicide.
Of the 37 Oregonians who died by assisted suicide last year, only one lived east of the Cascades.
Allbut one patient died at home -- the exception dying in anassisted-living center. All used a quick-acting barbiturate, and noneregained consciousness after taking the drug.
Three patients vomited part of the medication, but all three died within 31 hours.
Halfthe patients became unconscious within five minutes, and all within 30minutes. Half died within 25 minutes, and all within 31 hours.
It’s not about suicide as much as it is end of life comfort.
posted by Snappy | 1/18/2006 07:40:00 AM
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