Friday, November 8, 2019
The Oregon Death with Dignity Act turns 25 today.
On November 8, 1994, Oregonians voted to pass the first assisted dying law in the U.S. and the world, demonstrating their belief that terminally ill patients deserved the right to choose how they die.
The historic vote came after a hard-fought campaign led by a dedicated group of advocates, who drafted, promoted, and defended the statute from fierce opposition. Today we celebrate them, as well as the other courageous individuals across the country who have supported and grown the death with dignity movement over the past quarter-century.
The first-of-its-kind statute has survived multiple legal challenges and worked flawlessly, offering Oregonians with a terminal illness a way to control their final days. *The law **has provided a model for other states across the country*: eight states and Washington, D.C. now have assisted dying laws, allowing access to the option to 70 million Americans.
Tags: aid in dying, assisted death, assisted suicide laws, Death With Dignity, Derek Humphry, Final Exit, hemlock society, physician assisted death, physician-assisted suicide, right to die, terminal illness