Voters to decide death with dignity

This fall, Washington voters will decide on Initiative 1000, better known as The Washington Death with Dignity Act. This bill would allow competent adult (18 and over) patients to obtain lethal doses of medications to end their life if they have six months or less to live. This must be verified by two physicians.

Should the law go into effect, eligible patients must be residents of the state of Washington, and have completed counseling with a state licensed psychiatrist or psychologist.

Patients must make three requests without coercion; one written and two verbal. There must be a 15 day waiting period between the first oral and written request. There would be a 48 hour waiting period between the written request and the writing of a prescription.

The written request must be witnessed by two people; at least one of whom the patient is not related, or is employed by the health care facility. Two physicians must declare the mental competency of the patient.

In 1997, Oregon voters approved a Death with Dignity Act to allow terminally ill patients to end their lives through self-induced lethal medications as prescribed by a physician.

The Oregon bill was approved by voters twice and was upheld by the United States Supreme Court. They were the first state in the union to approve a measure to allow some terminally ill patients to decide when to end their own lives.

Former Washington state Governor Booth Gardner, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after his retirement, is a major proponent of the initiative. Although his illness is not terminal and he would not be eligible for Death with Dignity, he believes it would give people a choice in the way they would end their lives.

In a letter to the Yes on I-1000 campaign website, Gardner said he views this as his last campaign, “a campaign to allow the people of Washington to control fundamental end-of-life choices.”

The Coalition Against Assisted Suicide has formed to combat the issue which will be on the November ballot. The group argues the measure is dangerous and would redefine suicide as a medical treatment.

In a statement that can be found on the No on I-1000 website, Brian P. Wicks, MD and President of the Washington State Medical Association said it is their belief physician assisted suicide goes against a doctor’s role as a healer. “Patients put their trust in physicians and that bond of trust would be irrevocably harmed by the provisions of this dangerous initiative.”