IMPROVING THE OREGON ASSISTED DYING LAW
At the first public meeting in Florence on June 10, 2018, of the new organization END-OF-LIFE OPTIONS IN OREGON, twenty people attended and there was lively discussion.
The following addition drafted by Derek Humphry to the existing Oregon Death With Dignity Act l997 was put forward and debated. It is hoped to get it passed in the Oregon State Legislature when it meets again next year, 2019.
Accepting that it is a highly controversial modification, nonprofit EOLOIO is preparing for a tough fight. The meeting was convinced that the time has come for this kind of law to be available.
The relevant part of the existing law (Section 2), here with the suggested addition of the words ‘degenerative disease’ is:
127.805 §2.01. Who may initiate a written request for medication. (1) An adult who is capable, is a resident of Oregon, and has been determined by the attending physician and consulting physician to be suffering from a terminal disease, (or degenerative disease) and who has voluntarily expressed his or her wish to die, may make a written request for medication for the purpose of ending his or her life in a humane and dignified manner in accordance with ORS 127.800 to 127.897.
SUGGESTED ADDITIONAL CLAUSE HERE FOR 2019 LEGISLATURE:
A sufferer from a degenerative and hopelessly incurable disease is an adult whom two physicians certify has Parkinson’s disease, A.L.S., M.S., or similar incurable condition which will, in a time span unknown at present, to be the cause of death.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease are not included unless the patient has signed an Advance Directive to this effect, and whose family members (spouse, sibling, offspring; or in the complete absence of family the
patient’s two closest friends) agree that this form of medical assisted dying was known to be the patient’s clear wish before the onset of dementia.
[END SUGGESTED MODIFICATION INSERT]
At this stage, this is a draft, probably needing legal vetting by understanding lawyers. Let the campaign begin!
— Derek Humphry, 17 June 2018 www.finalexit.org
Hi Derek, ICYMI, this article was recently shared by my dear friend in Oregon:
https://www.nextavenue.org/advance-directive-denied-last-wish/?utm_content=buffer48485&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer