Physician Assisted Suicide

BACKGROUND ON PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE

Physician-assisted suicide is different than euthanasia. Physician-assisted suicide is the prescription of a lethal dose of medication by a physician. Patients then take the medication on their own. With euthanasia, the physician is present and administers the killing medication to the patient.

The initiative campaign is trying to pass a law similar to Oregons Death With Dignity Act. Oregon is the only state that allows physician-assisted suicide. The case of an 85-year old woman by the name of Kate Cheney confirms the inadequacy of Oregons so-called safeguards. Even though a psychologist knew of a growing dementia and that Ms. Cheneys daughter was coercing her to commit physician-assisted suicide, the psychologist signed off on the authorization. Ms. Cheney died of the lethal medication.

Physician -assisted suicide has been widely practiced in the Netherlands for over twenty-five years. The increasing practice of euthanasia has followed. It has reached such a point there that annually nearly 1,000 people are euthanized without their consent, including disabled infants. In one case, a Dutch nun was experiencing severe pain from cancer. Her doctor felt her faith would prevent her from agreeing to euthanasia, so he ended her life without seeking her consent.


KEY POINTS FROM CHURCH TEACHING

Human life, as a gift of God, is sacred and inviolable. (Gospel of Life, 81) God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can...claim...the right directly to destroy an innocent human being. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2258) The Catholic Church teaches that physician-assisted suicide can never be excused, even if it is requested. (Gospel, 66)

One of the mysteries of life is the experience of suffering. The Church proclaims that suffering, while still an evil and a trial in itself, can always become a source of good. It becomes such if it is experienced for love and with love through sharing...in the suffering of Christ Crucified. (Gospel, 67)

RESOURCES
Coalition Against Physician Assisted Suicide
www.noassistedsuicide.com

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/euthanas/index.shtml

Washington State Catholic Conference
www.thewscc.org
The WSCC offers A Guide to Making Good Decisions for the End of Life: Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care

Physicians for Compassionate Care
www.pccef.org


SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS


These suggestions can be used in discussing physician-assisted suicide with colleagues and friends.

Booth Gardner is leading the proponents of physician-assisted suicide even though he and other people suffering from diseases such as Parkinsons would not meet the proposed criteria. Asked about his own concern, Gardner told the New York Times, I wish we could do a more liberal law, but were going to pattern it after the Oregon law because it passed. We are not going to go farther than that now.

Legalizing physician-assisted suicide would debase the healthcare profession. According to the American Medical Association, physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physicians role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks.

According to the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, many national organizations of people with disabilities oppose legalizing physician-assisted suicide because they feel at risk, as many people view their lives as not worth living.

As in Oregons law, the proposed Washington initiative offers no adequate safeguards. Doctors who might err in their diagnosis or in prescribing the lethal medications cannot be held liable under the initiative. With no effective oversight or accountability, the proposed program would be open to exploitation and abuse.

Proponents of physician-assisted suicide argue the law is needed to bring an end to unbearable pain. Advances in managing pain (known as palliative care) have essentially eliminated this as a primary concern. Unfortunately, because of the legalization of physician-assisted suicide in Oregon and the Netherlands, access to and the quality of palliative care has decreased.