The Oregon Death with Dignity Act allows for
Physician Assisted Suicide. The legislation came into force in 1997 having
survived numerous legal challenges (Drum, White, Taitano& Horner-Johnson,
2010). A look through the law reveals several underlying principles.
Foremost among these principles is the issue
of consent (Drum, White, Taitano& Horner-Johnson, 2010). While recognizing
that some people may be entitled to seek medical assistance to end their lives,
appropriate safeguards are in place to avoid abuse. For instance, only people aged 18 years and
above can avail themselves of the benefit of this law. This is in line the fact
that minors are not in a position to give consent with the consent of their
parents substituted for theirs. Besides merely being 18 years old, the person
must also be suffering from a terminal illness. As to whether one is actually
suffering from a terminal illness is to be determined by both an attending and
consulting physicians respectively. Insisting on having a consulting physician
reduces the risk of abuse to the process. On his part, the statute insists on a
request to be made in a prescribed form and witnessed by two people.
Another important principle is the protection
of the integrity of the medical profession (Drum, White, Taitano&
Horner-Johnson, 2010). The medical profession is known throughout the world to
be committed to life. The Oregon Death with Dignity Act emphasizes this by
placing numerous responsibilities on participating physicians. Such duties
include the need to ensure that terminally ill patients requesting to end their
lives make informed decisions. This can be presumed to entail a duty on the
physician to explain the potential consequences of a decision to the patient.
Reference
Drum, C.E., White, G., Taitano, G., &
Horner-Johnson, W. (2010).The Oregon Death with Dignity Act: Results of a Literature Review and
Naturalistic Inquiry. Disability and Health Journal, 3, 3-15.
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