You will find here all the information you need to better understand the issues surrounding assisted suicide and euthanasia in Oregon State, USA.
May 20, 2019 BILL WILL SHORTEN ASSISTED SUICIDE WAITING PERIOD
People in the final weeks of their life could obtain deadly prescriptions more quickly under a bill moving forward in the Oregon Legislature.
March 20, 2019 TEEN SUICIDE RATE DOUBLED FROM 2006 TO 2015
The percentage of teen deaths by suicide in Oregon doubled from 2006 to 2015, according to Children First of Oregon. At 38.3 percent, it was the No. 1 cause of death. And while the suicide rate among youths 10 to 24 years stayed roughly the same across the U.S., the rate in Oregon increased by 41 percent.
March 3, 2019 2018 ASSISTED SUICIDE REPORT : A RECORD NUMBER OF ASSISTED DEATHS
The 2018 Oregon annual assisted suicide report is similar to prior years. The report implies that the deaths were voluntary (self-administered), but the information in the report does not address that subject. There were 168 reported assisted suicide deaths up from 158 in 2017.
Read more in Statistics section
January 18, 2019 ATTEMPT TO EXPAND OREGON ASSISTED-SUICIDE LICENSE
A bill has been filed in Oregon to greatly expand eligibility and add other liberalizing provisions.
February 6, 2018 THE OREGON ASSISTED SUICIDE ACT IS DESIGNED TO DECEIVE
Swedish author, Fabian Stahle, recently released his email communications with Craig New, an analyst for the Oregon Health Authority, which reveal some concerning facts about Oregon’s assisted suicide Act.
February 2, 2018 THE WATERTIGHT OREGON MODEL FOR ASSISTED SUICIDE IS A LEAKY BOAT
Most diseases become terminal if patients refuse to take the medicine.
January 12, 2018 DIABETICS CAN BE APPROVED FOR ASSISTED SUICIDE
A series of articles covering the report of Fabian Stahle, a Swedish opponent of euthanasia, have confirmed that the term “terminal illness” in Oregon’s assisted suicide act has a wider definition than specified in the act.
January 1, 2018 OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY REVEALS HIDDENT PROBLEMS WITH THE OREGON ASSISTED SUICIDE MODEL
Article by Fabian Stahle outlining how Oregon’s assisted suicide laws are less restrictive than thought.
September 9, 2017 IS FEAR TO BE A BURDEN A GOOD REASON FOR ASSISTED SUICIDE?
In Oregon, 48.9% of patients who ended their lives under the state’s assisted suicide act said that fear of being a burden was one of their reasons. We should be very worried by this, argues Charles Foster, a British medical ethicist.
April 27, 2017 ASSISTED SUICIDE TO REPLACE CHIMOTHERAPY TO EXPANSIVE
A study published by JAMA oncology reveal that “3% of assisted suicides identified by the Health Authority are justified by the inability to fund chemotherapy”, and the 25,2% of requests are due to an inappropriate management of pain.
March 3, 2017 OREGON BILL WOULD EXTEND ASSISTED SUICIDE TO INCOMPETENT PEOPLE
The Oregon Senate is currently debating Bill S.B. 893 that would expand assisted suicide to incompetent people who stated in a valid advanced directive, while competent, a wish to die by lethal drugs and the bill permits euthanasia.
February 21, 2017 OREGON 2016 ASSISTED SUICIDE REPORT: UNDER-REPORTING OF ASSISTED SUICIDE?
The 2016 Oregon annual assisted suicide report is similar to prior years. The report implies that the deaths were voluntary (self-administered), but the information in the report does not address that subject.
February 8, 2017 OREGON BILL WOULD ALLOW STARVATION OF ALZHEIMER’S PATIENTS, COULD SET UP DEATH PANELS
A bill introduced in the Oregon Senate would drastically alter current advance directive laws, diminishing the effects of powers of attorney and allowing incapacitated patients to be refused ordinary food and water. It would also mandate the formation of an unelected state committee to create a new advance directive form.
November 29, 2016 NEWSPAPER UNCOVERS ABUSE OF ASSISTED SUICIDE LAWS AND PRESSURE TO EUTHANIZE PATIENTS
The Des Moines Register newspaper uncovered significant problems with the practice of assisted suicide in Oregon and Washington State. They learned that the data is incomplete, that there are missing reports (under-reporting) and that the laws are not designed to be effectively monitored.
October 11, 2016 THE REAL STORY ABOUT SAFEGUARDS AROUND ASSISTED SUICIDE
One of the most frequently repeated claims by proponents of assisted suicide laws is that there is “no evidence or data” to support any claim that these laws are subject to abuse, and that there has not been “a single documented case of abuse or misuse” in the 18 reported years. These claims are demonstrably false.
August 7, 2016 DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AS OTHERS
Margaret Dore, a lawyer from Washington State, cautions Malta to avoid the same mistake as Washington and Oregon.
May 15, 2015 ASSISTED SUICIDE: HOW ONE WOMAN CHOSE TO DIE, THEN SURVIVED
In 1994, Jeannette Hall, a resident of King City, Ore., voted in favor of Ballot Measure 16, which for the first time in the United States, would allow terminally ill patients to end their own lives through physician-assisted suicide. That day at the ballot box, Hall never could have predicted that six years later, she would be diagnosed with inoperable colon cancer. Dr. Kenneth Stevens got to know her better and inspired her to consider treatment. The tumor just “melted away” and now — 15 years later — Jeanette says: “It’s great to be alive”.
February 23, 2008 OREGON PATIENTS REQUEST ASSISTED SUICIDE: FAMILY MEMBERS’ VIEW
A study on physician assisted suicide in Oregon has found that the most common reasons for requesting physician assisted suicide included concerns over future loss of dignity, independence, quality of life, and self-care ability. Concern for future physical symptoms and experiences (e.g. pain) scored higher than concern over physical symptoms and experience at the time of the request. According to family members, the least important reasons for requests of physician assisted suicide were depression, financial concerns, and poor social support.
Oregon 2018 assisted suicide report. A record number of assisted deaths
According to the 2018 Oregon assisted suicide report.
- There were 168 reported assisted suicide deaths up from 158 in 2017. When published, the 2017 report claimed that 143 people died by assisted suicide, 15 fewer than the actual number of death.
- 168 of 169 people who reportedly ingested lethal drugs in 2018, died from it, one person survived and died of natural causes.
- 11 of the deaths, the lethal drugs were prescribed in previous years.
- 3 of the patients were referred for a psychological or psychiatric evaluation.
- 2 physicians were referred to the Oregon Medical Board for failure to comply with the law.
- The time of death ranged from 9 minutes to 14 hours. When dying from DCMP2, death took on average 2 hours, with the longest time taking 21 hours.
- In 2018 one person died 807 days (more than 2 years and 2 months) after requesting assisted death.
- 43 people received lethal prescriptions, but their “ingestion” status is unknown.
- There were 249 lethal prescriptions obtained, up from 218 in 2017.
Some Oregon and Washington State Assisted Suicide Abuses and Complications
Under Oregon and Washington State’s lax oversight, these are some of the documented abuses and complications that have come to light.
1. Six Problems Experienced in Oregon since Assisted Suicide Became Legal 20 Years Ago
2. Oregon Physician Assisted Suicide: Theory vs. Practice (Comparative Table)