Key Objections to the Legalization of Assisted Suicide
1. Assisted suicide is a deadly mix with our broken, profit-driven health care system
2. Assisted suicide is dangerous to people with disabilities and many other people in vulnerable circumstances.
3. Available statistics show that pain is rarely the reason why people choose assisted suicide.
4. The supposed safeguards included in the Oregon and Washington State laws don’t really protect patients for many reasons;
5. Problems with Oregon’s data collection and data soundness, and the lack of any investigations of abuse or meaningful oversight, are so significant as to render conclusions based on those data to be critically flawed.
6. There is research strongly suggesting Oregon has seen a reduction in the quality of palliative care at the end-of-life since the Oregon law went into effect.
7. Some 25 states have rejected the legalization of assisted suicide since Oregon passed its law. We should heed their significant public policy concerns.
8. Many key organizations oppose the legalization of assisted suicide.
9. Suicide requests from people with terminal illness are usually based on fear and depression.
10. International models, particularly the Netherlands, show that assisted suicide cannot be limited to a small, targeted group once Pandora’s box is opened.
Yes. Particularly the Netherlands. Thank you.