Yellow Pages
There is no denying that death, in the end, takes us all. The question is, how each of us will cross that threshold and on what terms.
The answer should be — on our own terms, if it is within our power.
Initiative 1000 is a near copy of Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act, which was passed in 1997. It sets forth a carefully defined protocol by which those who are in the last stages of life, and of sound mind, can determine the time of their departure.
We must respect those whose religious and ethical concerns guide their opposition to a measure that would allow physicians to legally prescribe lethal medications to patients who request that service. They hold their convictions close to their hearts.
But this issue is not about the dictates of church or the Hippocratic Oath. It really is about honoring the right of rational human beings to decide their own fate.
It is not so difficult for individuals to take their own lives. It happens every day. Most suicides are driven by personal despair in moments of impaired judgment.
What I-1000 would provide is a structured and monitored dialogue among patient, physicians and family members leading to a decision that is entirely in the hands of the one whose life is at stake.
The concerns that opponents to the initiative have expressed about the assisted suicide process morphing into a method of saving money on medical care seem unwarranted. It certainly has not been the case in the 10 years the law has been in effect in Oregon.
The Oregon law requires the state to report annually on cases in which patients chose to terminate their own lives. Since the law was enacted in 1997, 341 terminally ill patients have chosen to die under its terms.
The Oregon Department of Health Services, which compiles the report, noted that in 2007 the paramount concern among 100 percent of the patients opting for the lethal medication was fear of losing their autonomy — the ability to make their own decisions.
Patients were also greatly concerned about a loss of dignity as they lose their physical abilities. The least significant reason patients gave for wanting to end their lives was their concern about pain control.
Like the Oregon law, I-1000 provides significant safeguards against patients making the life-ending decision when they are in a depressed state of mind. A patient would be required to consult with at least two physicians who must agree that he or she has less than six months to live.
The law has been carefully applied in Oregon, where only 1 out of 1,000 deaths has been attributed to patients making their choices under the Death With Dignity Act.
There’s no reason to believe that the experience with the law in Washington would be any different. Let the patient decide.
• Editorials reflect the consensus opinion of the editorial board and are written by its members: Publisher L. Stedem Wood, Editor Don Nelson and City Editor Dick Clever.
