Letter | Problems with Oregon suicide law
October 16, 2008 · 1:14 PM
I am an Oregon doctor. Thank you for John Carlson's column, "Why I oppose Initiative 1000."
My own patient, who became depressed, was given assisted suicide. Instead of addressing his suicidality, a colleague of mine simply gave him a lethal dose of a medication to end his life.
Washingtonians need to learn the real lesson from Oregon's doctor-assisted suicide law. Despite all the so-called "safeguards," numerous instances of inappropriate selection, coercion, botched attempts and active euthanasia have been documented in the public record.
However, this is not the worst of it. The tragedy of Oregon is that instead of doing the right thing, which is to provide excellent care, patients' lives are being cut short by physicians who are not addressing the issues underlying patient suicidality at the end of life. This change in the direction away from "cure when possible, comfort always, and never harm" has me concerned. This should concern Washington residents as well.
Don't follow Oregon's lead.
Vote "No" on I-1000.
Charles J. Bentz, MD, FACP
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics
Oregon Health & Sciences University
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