Euthanasia & Physician

Quotations:
"Whose life is it, anyway?" A plea by the late Sue Rodrigues, a high-profile, terminally-ill resident of British Columbia, Canada, who suffered from ALS. 1 She was helped to commit suicide by a physician in violation of Canadian law in the presence of a Member of Parliament. Neither the doctor nor the MP were prosecuted.
"We are disappointed at the decision. The president remains fully committed to building a culture of life ... that is built on valuing life at all stages." White House spokesman Scott McClellan, responding to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2006-JAN which found the Oregon physician assisted suicide legislation to be constitutional. 2
"The right to a good death is a basic human freedom. The Supreme Court's decision to uphold aid in dying allows us to view and act on death as a dignified moral and godly choice for those suffering with terminal illnesses." John Shelby Spong 3
Overview:
Throughout North America, committing suicide or attempting to commit suicide is no longer a criminal offense. However, helping another person commit suicide is a criminal act. Two exceptions are the states of:
Oregon which, since 1997, has allowed people who are terminally ill and in intractable pain to obtain a lethal prescription from their physician and end their chronic suffering. This is called "Physician Assisted Suicide" or PAS.
Washington whose voters passed Initiative 1000 in 2008-NOV. Supporters call it a "Death with Dignity bill;" opponents call it an "Assisted Suicide" measure.
There have been four failed ballot initiatives between 1991 and 2000:
1991: Washington state: defeated narrowly 54% to 46%
1992: California: Defeated narrowly 54% to 46%
1998: Michigan: Defeated overwhelmingly 71% to 29%
2000: Maine: Defeated very narrowly 51% to 49%.
Between 1994 and 2006, there were 75 legislative bills to legalize PAS in 21 states. All failed. 4
Attention is currently focused on a bill in the California legislature.
Topics covered in this section:
Introduction to Euthanasia & PAS: Terms, Why is it an issue?, Suicide beliefs.
Further information: battles, ethical and religious aspects, public opinion.
Euthanasia and Terri Schiavo
About living wills
Does PAS actually increase pain experienced by dying patients?
Status of euthanasia / PAS in:
The U.S.: Oregon law, U.S. Supreme Court decision, California, recent events, etc.
Canada: Private member bill introduced
The Netherlands (Holland)
The UK: England, Scotland, Wales
Elsewhere in the world
Links to web sites
Books
Related essays in this web site:
Suicide
Suicide passages in the Bible
Criminalizing information sources about committing suicide
Sources of information on suicide methods on the Internet
The medical management of pain