Patients Rights Council

Read the latest news articles here. (Latest articles added: 5/15/12)
Latest additions to web site: 5/18/12

INITIATIVE LANGUAGE CHALLENGED
Disability Rights Group, “Second Thoughts”, Challenges Language for 2012 Massachusetts ballot initiative. (5/17/12)
“The ballot language is clearly misleading,” said Second Thoughts director John Kelly of Boston. “We want the voters of Massachusetts to know exactly what they are voting on this November,” he said. More on Massachusetts.

Who will speak for you?
Imagine you are in an accident tomorrow and so seriously injured that you aren’t able to communicate about your health care wishes for several weeks. Who would make health care decisions for you during that time?

Do you need an advance directive?

The Latest PRC Update (May – June, 2012):

Vermont Senate rejects assisted-suicide bill not once, but twice
U.S. Supreme Court grapples with health care reform law
Massachusetts conducts hearing on “Death with Dignity” initiative
Oregon issues assisted-suicide report with record high deaths & unknowns
First-Hand Report — Hospital Visit: A Death Sentence?
Cancer diagnosis raises risk of suicide & heart attack
More…
View as PDF

Featured Articles…

Debate on assisted suicide
(New York Times — April 10, 2012)
Eight experts describe why the U.S. is more reluctant to embrace euthanasia and assisted suicide than countries such as the Netherlands.

“Elderly Murder-Suicide: Should We Praise Old Men Who Kill Their Wives and Themselves?”
(Huffington Post — April 9, 2012)
A bizarre aspect of these episodes is that reporters, commentators or the killers themselves frequently speak of them as “loving” acts. Whatever the reasons, even if we have compassion for the killer, surely we should have as much, if not a great deal more, for his victim.

“‘Second Thoughts’ Grow on Assisted Suicide”
(Wall Street Journal — April 5, 2012)
In Massachusetts, the disability advocates call their opposition group “Second Thoughts.” They say that assisted suicide may sound like a good idea at first, but on second thought the risks of mistake, coercion and abuse are too great to warrant legal immunity for doctors or others who assisted suicide.

Recent Developments…

NEW YORK
The doctor-prescribed suicide bill (AB 9360) that was introduced in the New York Assembly.on 2/22/12 was withdrawn by its sponsor, (5/12)

MINNESOTA
”Minnesota grand jury indicts right-to-die group, members for actionsin woman’s 2007 suicide”
(Washington Post — May 14, 2012)
A Minnesota grand jury has indicted the Final Exit Network and several members for their actions in the suicide death of Doreen Dunn. Minnesota law prohibits aiding, advising or encouraging a suicide.

SWITZERLAND
“World-weary Swiss seniors seek suicide help”
(The Local — May 9, 2012)
New figures show that more and more Swiss seniors are taking advantage of assisted suicide even when they do not suffer from any terminal diseases.
More on Switzerland

NEW MEXICO
“Cancer patient joins NM ‘right-to-die’ fight”
(Boston Globe — May 9, 2012)
A Santa Fe woman is joining two doctors in their challenge against a decades-old New Mexico law that states, “whoever commits assisting suicide is guilty of a fourth degree felony.” However, attorneys with the ACLU and Compassion & Choices say the lawsuit asks the court to clarify state law to allow “death with dignity,” also known as physician-assisted suicide.
Morris v New Mexico complaint.

HAWAII
“5 Hawaii doctors offer assisted suicide to terminally ill patients”
(American Medical News — April 17, 2012)
A group of Hawaii physicians is offering to write lethal prescriptions for terminally ill patients in a bid to test whether doctor-assisted suicide is allowed under state law.
More on Hawaii

VERMONT
After the VT doctor-prescribed suicide bill failed to make it out of committee by the legislative deadline, proponents amended it to another unrelated measure (dealing with tanning beds for individuals under age 18). On Thursday, April 12, the measure was resoundingly defeated by a Senate vote of 11-18.
“Vt. Senate rejects ‘Death with Dignity’ bill”
(WPTZ News — April 13, 2012)
“Death with dignity bill falls on Senate floor”
(Vermont Digger — April 12, 2012)
More on Vermont

THE NETHERLANDS
“Holland Targets Its Drugs-and-Death Tourism”
(Forbes — April 4 2012)
Officially only Dutch residents should receive medical assistance to commit suicide. But the law doesn’t prohibit doctors from administering euthanasia to non-residents. It’s not the existence of assisted-suicide tourism that is behind the latest controversy but, rather, the implicit danger that it could spin out of control.
More on the Netherlands

OREGON
Oregon issues its latest report on doctor-prescribed suicide (March 6, 2012)
Only one patient was referred for a psychiatric evaluation before receiving a prescription for suicide.
Official chart indicates that reported annual prescriptions have increased by almost 400% since the first full year of the “Death with Dignity” Act’s implementation.
More on Oregon

GEORGIA
“Assisted suicide bill passes state House committee”
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution — February 29, 2012)
A state House committee passed a bill Tuesday aimed at ending assisted suicides in Georgia.

“Georgia lawmakers want to outlaw assisted suicide”
(Atlanta Journal Constitution– February 21, 2012)
State legislators have introduced a bill (House Bill 1114) that would outlaw assisted suicide after the Georgia Supreme Court ruled the state’s poorly written law unconstitutional. (“Suicide Law Ruled Unconstitutional” and text of court’s opinion)

Key Objections to the Legalization of Assisted Suicide
Formulated by DREDF (Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund)

From the bookshelf…
Twenty years ago, Ann Humphry, the co-founder of the Hemlock Society (now called Compassion and Choices) committed suicide. Her death made headlines worldwide.

Prior to her death, Ann contacted Rita Marker, a staunch euthanasia opponent. Over time, the two became close friends, and Ann asked Rita to make public secrets about the right-to-die movement — secrets that had weighed heavily on Ann.

Two years after Ann’s tragic death, the book, Deadly Compassion: The Death of Ann Humphry and the Truth About Euthanasia was published. It recounts Ann’s personal story, the founding of the Hemlock Society, and activities of euthanasia and doctor-prescribed suicide advocates. Thousands of copies of the book were sold in the United States, England, Canada and Australia. (Read excerpts from reviews of the book.)

Now, for the first time, you can read Deadly Compassion in its entirety on line in PDF format.

Selected News and Views…

“Medical misdiagnoses can have fatal consequences”
(The State Journal-Register — June 26, 2011)
Stephen Reindl told his mother, Mary Reindl, what he thought would be his final goodbyes after doctors suggested she had fewer than 24 hours to live. Then the case was reviewed by a doctor who bucked what he called “that assumption bandwagon.” Other doctors opposed any further diagnostic tests. Reindl was called into a meeting and told his mother shouldn’t be put through what doctors believed would be a futile procedure. “Each one took a turn trying to grind me down,” Reindl said. “The only time they worked together was when they said she needed to be put down.” Mary Reidl now says, “I’m thankful to be alive. I didn’t realize I was so close to not being alive.”
Note: Article contains suggestions on ways patients can help avoid errors.

“Doctor-Assisted Suicide Is Moral Issue Dividing Americans Most”
(Gallup Poll — May 31, 2011)
Doctor-assisted suicide emerges as the most controversial cultural issue in Gallup’s 2011 Values and Beliefs poll, with Americans divided 45% vs. 48% over whether it is morally acceptable (45%) or morally wrong (48%).
The number of people favoring doctor-assisted suicide has fallen from a high of 53% in 2004 to a low of 45% in 2011. Individuals who are 55 and over are the least likely to favor doctor-assisted suicide.

“How to Die in Oregon — or how to sidestep hard questions”
(Washington Post — May 27, 2011)
Thursday night, HBO aired “How to Die in Oregon”, the winner of this year’s Grand Jury Prize in the documentary category at Sundance. The film, although emotionally powerful, is intellectually flabby, repeatedly shirking weight questions surrounding the end of life.

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Euthanasia: False Light

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