Patients Rights Council

“Suicide Rates Rise Sharply in U.S.”

prc — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:16:04 +0000

More people now die of suicide that in car accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2010 [the latest reporting year], there were 33,687 deaths from motor vehicle crashes and 38,364 suicides….The rise may stem from the economic downturn….Another factor may be the widespread availability of opioid drugs like OxyContin and oxycodone, which can be particularly deadly in large doses.

New York Times
“Suicide Rates Rise Sharply in U.S.”
May 2, 2013
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“Euthanasia for sick babies is not a ‘slippery slope’”

prc — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:54:50 +0000

Fears that legalising euthanasia for very sick newborns would prompt the start of a “slippery slope” are groundless. These are the findings from experts who architected a dedicated protocol used by doctors in The Netherlands to identify situations in which euthanasia might be appropriate.

Onmedica
“Euthanasia for sick babies is not a ‘slippery slope’”
May 2, 2013
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“Attempts to scuttle death with dignity bill fail; Vt. House passes legislation on second reading”

prc — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:15:23 +0000

A little before midnight, the House voted 80-57 to approve S. 77. It is up for final vote Wednesday….The legislation which will be on third reading in the House Wednesday, faces a potential fight in conference committee with the Senate panel.

Vermont Digger
“Attempts to scuttle death with dignity bill fail; Vt. House passes legislation on second reading”
May 1, 2013
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“Bill allowing doctor-assisted suicide has troubling aspects”

prc — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:51:26 +0000

More than a decade ago, the people of Maine soundly defeated a referendum regarding assisted suicide….As proponents of Oregon’s law admit, and as Oregon’s physician reporting form states, it is social pressures like that that drive the movement for legalized assisted suicide.

Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)
“Bill allowing doctor-assisted suicide has troubling aspects”
April 28, 2013
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“Nurse travelled to Switzerland to end life in Dignitas clinic”

prc — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 14:49:33 +0000

Unable to swallow because of her debilitating illness, Diane Whittle consumed a large amount of pentobarbital, a lethal and short-acting barbiturate, by passing it through a feeding tube in her stomach.

Birmingham Mail
“Nurse traveled to Switzerland to end life in Dignitas Clinic”
April 4 3013
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“Selling suicide with George Soros’ money”

prc — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 14:27:11 +0000

As Connecticut lawmakers begin public hearings on assisted suicide this month, national advocacy groups like Compassion & Choices will mobilize to help create the illusion that the proposed bill is a grassroots initiative.
It isn’t.

Washington Examiner
“Selling suicide with George Soros’ money”
April 4, 2013
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“Connecticut’s assisted suicide bill has flaws, some experts say”

prc — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:57:36 +0000

Several differences between the bill and Oregon’s 1997 “Death with Dignity Act,” which served as its model, are likely to be eliminated by the time the bill reaches the full legislature, but the changes aren’t likely to fix what opponents see as dangerous features….Dr. Sherwin Nuland favors the concept of physician-assisted suicide, but criticizes the Oregon law for what he sees as several major flaws, which are also reflected in the Connecticut bill.

Register Citizen
“Connecticut’s assisted suicide bill has flaws, some experts say”
March 31, 2013
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“Still haunted by a grandmother’s suffering”

prc — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:45:32 +0000

(Boston.com — April 1, 2013)
The possibility that a patient might prefer suicide (whether physician-assisted or not), simply because s/he does not have access to clinicians who can reliably prevent or alleviate their suffering, should haunt, unite, and mobilize us all, regardless of our views on legalizing so-called “aid in dying.”

Boston.com
“Still haunted by a grandmother’s suffering”
April 1, 2013
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“A Texas Senate Bill Would Revise the State’s End-of-Life Procedure”

prc — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:25:36 +0000

State law allows physicians to discontinue treatment they deem medically futile. If a physician’s decision to end treatment contradicts the patient’s advance directive or the judgment of the patient’s surrogates, state law gives patients or their families 10 days to find another provider and appeal the doctor’s decision to a hospital ethics committee.

New York Times
“A Texas Senate Bill Would Revise the State’s End-of-Life Procedure”
March 30, 2013
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“Disabled people may struggle to get specialty care”

prc — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:55:05 +0000

A 22-year-old student at Ohio State University in Columbus, she uses an electric wheelchair and finds waiting rooms and examination rooms are often hard to maneuver….Often times, she said she can’t get an appointment at all — because a facility’s entrance has steps, without a ramp or a life.

Reuters
“Disabled people may struggle to get specialty care”
March 16, 2013
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