by Alex Schadenberg Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
The Oregon Senate is currently debating Bill S.B. 893 that would expand assisted suicide to incompetent people who stated in a valid advanced directive, while competent, a wish to die by lethal drugs and the bill permits euthanasia.
The bill officially also legalizes euthanasia.
The bill enables the doctor to administer the "medications" to the patient. This was probably deemed necessary because incompetent people are usually unable to self-administer the lethal drug cocktail.
Senate Bill 893 states:
SECTION 3. An expressly identified agent may collect medications dispensed under ORS 127.815 (1)(L)(B)(ii) and administer the medications to the patient in the manner prescribed by the attending physician if: (1) The patient lawfully executed an advance directive in the manner provided by ORS 127.505 to 127.660; (2) The patient's advance directive designates the expressly identified agent as the person who is authorized to perform the actions described in this section; (3) The patient's advance directive includes an instruction that, if the patient ceases to be capable after medication has been prescribed pursuant to ORS 127.800 to 127.897, the expressly identified agent is authorized to collect and to administer to the patient the prescribed medication; (4) The medication was prescribed pursuant to ORS 127.800 to 127.897; and (5) The patient ceases to be capable.
Compassion and Choices appears to be expanding Oregon's assisted suicide program to incompetent people and to euthanasia (lethal injection) through the back door.
Oregon Senate Bill 893 will be debated in the Senate Committee on Healthcare.
The 2016 Oregon death with dignity act report indicates that there is also a problem with under-reporting of assisted suicide. According to the 2016 Oregon report there were 133 reported assisted suicide deaths and 204 reported lethal prescriptions. The 2016 official Oregon report also states that the ingestion status was unknown in 10 of the deaths.
Oregon 2016 assisted suicide report. Under-reporting of assisted deaths?
Recently Kaiser Health News reported that assisted suicide can be a slow and painful death.