Assisted-Dying Blog

“JEAN’S WAY’ Thirty years ago — on March 29, l975 — Jean Humphry took her life with an overdose of barbiturates to escape the final ravages of metastasized cancer. A doctor supplied the drugs and her husband helped her take them. Three years later the account of her death in a book called “Jean’s Way” […]

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To access a useful list of organizations in North America which handle right to die issues, visit this web site belonging to Compassion in Dying of Oregon which is the steward of that state’s physician-assisted suicide law. ——- Derek Humphry, Oregon, USA

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The Oregon Dept. of Human Services has issued its annual report on the state’s Death With Dignity Act which permits dying people to ask their doctor for a lethal overdose to hasten their end. According to the 2005 report, 64 terminally ill patients received a prescription under the Oregon law, and a total of 38 […]

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OPINION Euthanasia of hopelessly ill babies must be approached with the greatest caution, surrounded by a bodyguard of sensible rules. Every case must be individually considered on its medical circumstances and the ethical belief of the parents. Hastening the end of seriously ill and handicapped infants goes on all over the world — and always […]

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Yesterday, Monday 06th of March-2006, was officialy founded the: Asociación Venezolana Derecho a Morir con Dignidad (AV-DMD) (Venezuelan Association Right to Die with Dignity) Prof. Rafael, Aguiar-Guevara, President, Asociación Venezolana Derecho a Morir con Dignidad [Venezuelan Association Right to Die with Dignity] Email: morircondignidad@yahoo.com The only other right-to-die group in South America is Fundacion pro […]

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More than 2,000 people have received medically prescribed doses of barbiturates to kill themselves in Switzerland over the past 10 years, according to figures kept by the three main right-to-die organizations. So-called assisted suicide is legal there as long as the agencies that arrange death do so for “honorable reasons,” without seeking profit, although they […]

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Read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution article (Feb. 15, 2006) about Ted Goodwin of Final Exit Network (president) and the work of the Final Exit Network. To learn about ERGO, go to www.finalexit.org

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The Japan Society for Dying with Dignity in its latest newsletter reports that membership now totals 109,587 making it the largest such organization in the world.

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While broadcasting on ‘Air America’ today, writer and satirist Al Franken frequently referred to the Hemlock Society as if it still existed. In fact, it committed ‘corporate suicide’ in 2003, first by changing its name and then merging with another, smaller organization. I have referred to this as ‘the mouse who swallowed the cat.’ In […]

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The 2005 annual report of ‘Compassion and Choices of Oregon’ reports the following interesting details. This Oregon organization is the nonprofit group that acts as the steward of the unique Death With Dignity Act (1994) which permits physician-assisted suicide under certain conditions. (Oregon is the only USA state which allows this.) When the report refers to ‘medication’ it usually means nine grams of Seconal which is consumed orally.

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