Assisted suicide bill set aside, for now

Excerpted from “Connecticut sets aside bill on assisted suicide, for now,” Associated Press, by Stephen Kalin. April 5, 2013 -- A high-profile bill to allow physicians to help dying patients end their own lives was set aside Friday to preserve other proposals that lawmakers considered too vital to risk. Legislators also had concerns about whether the bill, which will be reintroduced during the 2014 session, had enough safeguards to ensure patients’ end-of-life decisions would not be made imprudently. Sen. Jason Welch, R-Bristol, said he supported changes that would have required multiple medical opinions and several waiting periods. But he ultimately opposed the bill, he said, out of concern that protections for the chronically ill were too few and too weak.

The bill would have made Connecticut the fourth state in the country, after Oregon, Washington and Montana, to allow assisted suicide. ‘‘I do think it’s a discussion absolutely worth having,’’ said Rep. Elizabeth Ritter, D-Waterford, one of the bill’s proponents. The Rev. Douglas Peary, president of the Unitarian Universalist Society in Meriden, said at a hearing that his wife begged him to bring her home from the hospital at the end of her life. His father and sister also died after long battles with cancer, he said. ‘‘We are here for the dying,’’ he said. ‘‘We’re not trying to kill people. We want people just to have the choice to stop their pain when they’re dying.’’ Peary said the key to winning support was more education, and compared the issue to the civil rights and gay rights movements.

Welsh also objected, he said, because ‘‘it’s bad public policy’’ for the state to sanction suicide under any circumstances. He suggested it would lead to higher suicide rates in general. Full story can be found here.

Commentary

CMDA Member Susan Giles, MD: "'Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth' (2 Timothy 2:15 NIV 1984). These words came alive to me with my recent experience in testifying against a proposed physician-assisted suicide (PAS) bill (euphemistically known as 'compassionate aid to the dying') before Connecticut’s Public Health Committee. To date, I had not been politically active, but upon hearing of the bill’s stealth presentation in my own state, my conscience called me to action just days before the public hearing took place. I hope that my story will convince those of you who have never done so that you too can advocate for what is right in the public arena. After a crash course in civics and familiarizing myself with the helpful ethical resources on CMDA’s website, I wrote my testimony. The nearly 13 hours of public hearing prior to my speaking gave me perspective that the opposition has a very earnest, poignant and human face, yet their arguments are fear-driven and based on the quest for unmitigated self-determination. I was one of only a handful of physicians to testify that long day, and in retrospect, I have a deeper understanding for the credibility our profession carries; our words have clout. Thankfully, the PAS bill in Connecticut has been set side for the moment, but I am certain it will reappear in a modified version, in your state if not in mine.

"More physicians willing to speak against PAS are clearly needed. Educate yourself now on the arguments for and against such practices before a bill is quietly introduced in your state. Familiarize yourself with the data and unintended consequences from the states and countries where PAS is legal. Grapple with the admittedly difficult subset of ALS patients who fear being locked-in and burdening others more than their own pain. Improve your own practices and support others in thoughtful end-of-life decisions, advanced directives and excellent palliative care, thereby reducing the perceived need for PAS. Together we can make a difference to eradicate the notion that PAS is compassionate and dignified, and instead give hope to our terminally ill patients that we will act with integrity and be present with them in both their living and their dying.”

Action
CMDA Members are desperately needed in New Jersey to speak out against Physician Assisted Suicide.
Contact us at this link if you want to get involved in you state’s public policy issues.

Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia Resources
Arguments Against Legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
PAS Talking Points