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Physician Assisted Suicide in Oregon and Its Implications

June 18, 2016

Audio Recording

Video Recording

Americans thrive on the ideology of controlling one’s own destiny. It should come as no shock then when this rationale is used to control the nature, time, and circumstances surrounding one’s death. For example, Oregon enacted their Death With Dignity Act in October of 1997. This allowed those with terminal illnesses to obtain prescriptions to end their lives. Recently, Brittany Maynard thrust the issue of physician assisted suicide (PAS) into the national spotlight. Her compelling emotional narrative persuaded many and won ground for the Right to Die Movement. Her story was so captivating due to her being a young, well-educated, charismatic, and attractive individual. With recent developments in places such as Canada, California, and New Mexico, the Death with Dignity Movement appears to only be gaining steam. Given this trend, analyzing the data has become crucial. In February, Oregon released their 2015 Death With Dignity Report. The primary purpose of this essay is to evaluate the information presented in this report. While that remains at the fore, this essay will also give a brief synopsis of the current state of the PAS debate. The following are of particular interest for inquiry: insurance coverage (whether public or private), the reason(s) for seeking the medication, the reporting process, and the length of time for individuals to pass. For example, less than 30% of individuals cited a concern of inadequate pain control. Despite this, it is unknown what percentage of those persons was experiencing any pain. The closing portion will examine the implications of PAS laws both in Oregon as well as what precedence it may have for the rest of the United States.

Keywords:
Public policy; Autonomy, Compassion; Suffering