Death with Dignity

“Death with Dignity” Physician assisted suicide has long been a topic of debate. Those who are in favor and those who are very much against it, make very convincing arguments on both sides of this controversial topic. In November 2012, people of the state of Massachusetts voted on a very controversial petition called the Massachusetts "Death with Dignity" Initiative. This initiative that was defeated, allowed the people of Massachusetts with terminal illness (a terminally ill patient is defined as one who has been given six months or fewer to live) the right to request and obtain lethal drugs by their physician in order to end their life. The “Death with Dignity” initiative stated that before the lethal drugs were allowed to be given, the patient requesting the medication had to be mentally capable of making medical decisions, required to verbally request them two times as well as submit the request in writing, and have both verbal and written requests witnessed. The initial verbal request must be fifteen days prior to the written request and second oral request. The patient's terminal diagnosis and capability to make health care decisions must also be confirmed by a second doctor (Galvin.)
Before the people of the State of Massachusetts voted on the “Death with Dignity”
Initiative. Three states had passed the “Death with Dignity” act: Oregon, Washington, and
Vermont. Oregon was the first to pass the “Death with Dignity act (DWDA) on October 27,

1997. Since the law was passed in 1997, a total of 1,050 people have had DWDA prescriptions

written and 673 patients have died from ingesting medications prescribed under the DWDA

(Oregon Health Authority.) For those who are not opposed to the “Death with Dignity”

Initiative, believe that what is currently taking place in states of Oregon, Washington, and

Vermont is historic and one day will be adopted by the remaining forty-seven states. For

those who are