If the pain and suffering of that final illness become too great to bear, should a patient have the option of seeking medication to end that suffering?
A "death with dignity" bill was introduced in the 2005-06 session of the Vermont Legislature, but failed to win passage. Now, state Reps. Richard Hube, R-South Londonderry, and Daryl Pillsbury, I-Brattleboro, are among the co-sponsors of a revived version of the bill.
The bill's provisions are simple. A patient must be a Vermont resident over the age of 18, under a doctor's care and be mentally competent to make the request. A medical determination must be made that the patient has less than six months to live. A second opinion from a qualified physician would then be sought, and presented before approved witnesses, before any further actions are taken.
Throughout the process, the patient would have complete control. He or she would be the only one to initiate or stop the process, and if necessary, be the one to administer the drugs that would induce death. No physician would be compelled to administer these drugs.
The death with dignity option would be available only to those who want it and meet the qualifications. Few will likely use it. Oregon's experience with its death with dignity law is instructive. Before it was enacted in 1998, only about 20 percent of terminally ill patients sought hospice care. Today, 54 percent do.
In other words, the goal of the death with dignity legislation is not just giving terminally ill patients a way to kill themselves. It's also about better pain management and greater access to hospice care, so that patients can be comfortable in their final days. It's also about giving the patient absolute control over his or her fate, and giving the terminally ill the peace of mind of knowing that an early exit is available if the suffering becomes too much.
Recent polls showed that about two-thirds of Vermonters support a death with dignity bill, and the wide support crosses over political and religious lines. Not everyone would choose physician-aided suicide, but a process that is totally controlled by the patient, rather than the doctor, is in keeping with the Vermont values of self-determination and personal freedom. It is simply the right and compassionate thing to do.