Nurseweek/Healthweek|Oregonins vote to keep assisted suicide law

Oregonians vote to keep assisted-suicide law

Posted 11-10-97

A proposal to repeal Oregon’s physician-assisted suicide law was overwhelmingly voted down Nov. 4. Oregonians voted against repealing the Death With Dignity Law, which was passed in 1994 by a 60 to 40 percent margin,

The vote in Oregon is expected to spur similar measures in other states. A petition drive for an assisted suicide referendum is under way in Michigan; several state legislatures are or soon will be considering bills dealing with death and dying.

Under the Oregon law, physicians may prescribe, but not administer, lethal doses of medication to terminally ill patients who request them. Two physicians must agree the patient has six months or less to live, and the physicians may be present at the suicide.

Court challenges have blocked the Oregon law from going into effect until now, but the administrative regulations governing assisted suicide are expected to be filed with the Oregon secretary of state this month.

Opponents of the state law—which include the American Medical Association, the National Right to Life Committee, and the Roman Catholic Church—have said they will renew their challenge on a case-by-case basis.