11th Year Report Shows Law Continues to be Safe

This past spring, the Death with Dignity Act was widely recognized and lauded for being a safe, compassionate law providing comfort and peace of mind to terminally ill adults. The Oregon Department of Human Services’ (DHS)11th annual report detailing usage of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act demonstrates that this praise is well deserved.

This year’s statistics are largely in keeping with the data collected over the past 10 years. 88 people received ODWDA prescriptions in 2008, and 60 people died under the terms of the Act. The typical participant was 72, college educated, and suffering from cancer. Over the years, participants have listed quality-of-life issues as their main reasons for using the Act, and this year was no different. The top concerns included an inability to participate in activities that made life enjoyable, loss of autonomy, and loss of dignity.

There were some categories in which the statistics made a more noticeable shift. In 2008, 98% of patients were enrolled in hospice care, which is a significant increase from previous years when hospice enrollment was at 86%. In addition, in 2008 more patients had private health insurance (88%) than in previous years (63%).

The report also indicates that the dire predictions of Death with Dignity opponents have not materialized. This year, as in all previous years of the Act’s usage, there was not a single report of coercion, abuse, or misuse of the law. For the 11th year in a row, Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act has proven to be a safe and effective law. Read DHS’ report and table.

Read more: 11th Year Report Shows Law Continues to be Safe - June 16, 2009.

More Headlines from DDNC

Spring 2009 Newsletter - June 16, 2009
What's Going on in Washington?: - June 16, 2009
The Next Steps to the Next State - June 16, 2009
Bequests & Planned Giving - June 16, 2009
Death with Dignity Around the U.S. - June 16, 2009
Montana District Court Ruling on Death with Dignity - April 16, 2009
Oregon Department of Human Services Releases 2008 Annual Report - March 03, 2009

In the News

June 4, 2009	WA	Olympic Medical Center amends Death with Dignity policy - Peninsula Daily News
June 3, 2009	WA	OMC board to revisit Death/Dignity tonight - Sequim Gazette
June 3, 2009	WA	Group reports second death under new suicide law - The Seattle Times
June 1, 2009	MT	Briefs pile up in assisted suicide case - KPAX.com
May 29, 2009	WA	Linda Fleming, John Peyton and Assisted Suicide in Washington - Associated Content
May 23, 2009	WA	Choosing when to die was "truly what she wanted to do," says friend - The Seattle Times
May 22, 2009	OR	First death under Washington Death With Dignity law - The Oregonian
May 15, 2009	ZZ	Death With Dignity: Combatting Religious Opposition to Physician-Assisted Suicide - Religion Dispatches
May 13, 2009	MA	Stoughton man: Let me die on my own terms - The Patriot Ledger
May 7, 2009	CA	In rural Washington state, law allows assisted suicide, but most doctors don't - Los Angeles Times
April 7, 2009	MO	Death Watch: Final Exit's clandestine ways have put the assisted-suicide network on life support - Riverfront Times
March 5, 2009	WA	State's hospitals formulate assisted-suicide plan - The Seattle Times
March 5, 2009	WA	Seeking to leave this life with a measure of dignity - Seattle Post-Intelligencer
March 5, 2009	WA	Real benefit may be in breaking a taboo: talking about death - Yakima Herald-Republic
March 5, 2009	ZZ	Many WA hospitals opting out of 'death with dignity' law - MSNBC
March 4, 2009	WA	New Law Aids Dying Patients Seeking to Hasten Death - KUOW News
March 4, 2009	WA	WA Death With Dignity Law Takes Effect Thursday - OPB News
March 4, 2009	NY	A 2nd State Lets Doctors Lend Help in Suicide - The New York Times
March 2, 2009	ZZ	Washington state to enact assisted suicide law - AFP
March 1, 2009	WA	'Death With Dignity' Law Takes Effect in Washington State - Fox News
Feb. 23, 2009	WA	New Doctor-Assisted Suicide Law Takes Effect March 5 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Feb. 22, 2009	WA	FAQ on Death with Dignity Act - Bellingham Herald
Feb. 22, 2009	WA	Questions Remain as Death with Dignity Law Goes into Effect - Bellingham Herald
Feb. 22, 2009	WA	Death with Dignity Act Rules Adopted by State Health Department - KHQ – TV
Feb. 21, 2009	WA	‘Death with Dignity Act’ Rules Finalized - The News Tribune
		See all articles.

Defend dignity. Take action.

For more than 14 years, the Death with Dignity National Center (DDNC), a 501(c)(3), non-partisan, non-profit organization, has been the leading advocate in the death with dignity movement. Leaders in our organization originally wrote and have continued advocating for the Oregon Death with Dignity Law. DDNC has met these challenges through extensive legal defense of the Oregon law, education and outreach programs, and by developing and nurturing diverse financial resources with one goal in mind: to ensure DDNC's financial vitality and its position as a leader in the death with dignity movement.

Your donation today will enable us to continue to advocate for the right of the terminally ill to die with dignity. Please click here to give a secure, online donation. Thank you.

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Washington: Yes on 1000

For two years, our highest organizational priority has been securing passage of the Washington Death with Dignity Act through the voter initiative process.

Our generous donors have helped us provide the campaign with over $300,000 in seed money and we have pledged to raise an additional $650,000 for the campaign. We were an instrumental part of the team that devised the campaign structure, and we will continue to provide political strategy and legal expertise throughout the campaign.

Read on for an insider's analysis of the Washington campaign.

About Death with Dignity

The greatest human freedom is to live, and die, according to one's own desires and beliefs. The most common desire among those with a terminal illness is to die with some measure of dignity. From advance directives to physician-assisted dying, death with dignity is a movement to provide options for the dying to control their own end-of-life care.

Death with Dignity National Center (DDNC) is the leader in this movement, successfully establishing, advancing and defending the landmark Oregon Death with Dignity Act -- a national catalyst for openly discussing and actively reforming end-of-life care for those who are terminally ill.

Learn more about the National Center and our family of organizations.

Patients & Families

The Death with Dignity National Center was formed out of a profound commitment to the idea that personal end-of-life decisions should be made solely between a patient and a physician. Based on this commitment, we are pleased to provide you with support and information as you face the difficult challenges ahead.

Access resources for patients and families.

Research Center

We have compiled a comprehensive collection of legal briefs, journal articles, and newspaper clippings. We invite you to explore the wide array of information we have collected throughout our history.

In our Research Center you will find frequently asked questions, the history of the death with dignity movement, state monitoring statistics, and a copy of this groundbreaking statute.

Dive into the archives of the National Center.