A controversial "Death with Dignity" law takes effect today in Washington state. It allows terminally-ill patients with six months or less to live the option of taking a lethal dose of medicine. Washington is only the second state to approve "Death with Dignity".
For 12-years, Oregon has allowed doctors to prescribe lethal doses of
medication to some dying patients. Now, Washington state has enacted the
"Death with Dignity" law. It includes many safeguards. For starters, a
patient must be a resident of Washington and diagnosed as terminally-ill with
less than six-months to live. The patient's primary care doctor must also
consult another physician.
If that doctor reaches the same conclusions as the first doctor, then the prescription is written.
Most importantly, patients must ingest the lethal, short-acting barbituate themselves and can change their minds at any time.
Washington voters overwhelmingly approved the initiative last November. The law says doctors opposed to the "death with dignity" act are not required to write prescriptions and pharmacists don't have to fill them.
Opponents say patients especially the depressed or elderly, may feel it's their only option. They're pushing for other end-of-life care, like Hospice.
More than 340-people in Oregon have died under the "Death with Dignity" act.
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