The Suicide Tourist

[JRD2002]

I just finished watching a Frontline documentary called "The Suicide Tourist" which followed a man that was diagnosed with ALS and was seeking assisted suicide in Switzerland. I found it very interesting and learned quite a bit. I was under the impression that a medication was administered to the person but it is actually poured in a glass and the person must drink it on their own. The only thing that the facilitator can do is to hold the glass if the person can not hold it on their own.

In the documentary it also said that there are three states in the U.S.A. that have physician assisted suicide programs. Is anyone familiar with any of these programs? Or perhaps has worked in one before?

I highly recommend watching this documentary. It is available on Netflix right now.

[sjoy]

And how exactly is it that you know that YOUR God is the God of everyone else's beliefs?

I suppose you could lean toward the polytheism side of things but let's not be stupid. There is a head to all things, that all things stem from. Nature even shows us this.

Seek Him and you will find Him. He said it. I tried Him. I found Him. ..not religion. And since then all that is written has manifest itself in me and in my life. I speak from knowing. You speak from doubt. There is no doubt in Him. When you get there, then we will be talking the same language. Until then, it'll be like talking to a wall...for both of us.

The spirit can discern the things of the spirit world. You cannot understand the things of God with your natural mind. To try is futile:redbeathe

[rn/writer, RN]

The OP made it very clear that this was NOT to be a debate about the morality/immorality of assisted suicide. I will reiterate that request.

Each individual must weigh the facts in a challenging area like this one and assess how it lines up with their personal convictions. Such an evaluation requires accurate information, and that is what the OP is seeking in this thread.

Any further posts that try to steer this discussion toward a religious/ethical debate will be removed and, if warranted, points will be issued.

[One1, BSN, RN]

To the OP: If you search for "physician-assisted dying" or "physician-assisted suicide" you should find much information. There are also some great books out about the topic. Oregon was the first State to legalize physician-assisted dying in 1997. Here is the link which should get you started on the topic

http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/faqs.shtml#whatis

This is the new website for the Hemlock society who is now partnered with another organization:

http://www.compassionandchoices.org/hemlock

These are just some starting points. There is much information and (as you can see) many heated opinions out there on the topic.

Enjoy researching.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

I found the following info on this site:ASSISTED SUICIDE LAWS STATE BY STATE

ASSISTED SUICIDE LAWS STATE BY STATE

Currently, 34 STATES have statutes explicitly criminalizing assisted suicide :

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin

NINE states criminalize assisted suicide through common law:

Alabama, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia

THREE states have abolished the common law of crimes and do not have statutes criminalizing assisted suicide :

North Carolina, Utah, Wyoming

In Ohio, that state's supreme court ruled in October 1996 that assisted suicide is not a crime.

In Virginia, there is no real clear case law on assisted suicide , nor is there is a statute criminalizing the act, although there is a statute which imposes civil sanctions on persons assisting in a suicide.

Only the states of Oregon and Washington permit physician-assisted suicide. Source: Associated Press.Provided by Infonet List is a daily compilation of pro-life news and educational information.

[rn/writer, RN]

Another aspect to check into is what do the Boards of Nursing say in each state. The threshold of criminality in assisting a suicide and the acceptability of the act by an individual BON may differ.

And I'd check the regulations themselves to ascertain what conditions may be attached to fulfilling the law. Who can assist? What methods are acceptable? Does assistance or death (or both) have to be witnessed? May the "assistant" be a family member? Etc.

[Mike A. Fungin RN]

Page on Oregon's Death with Dignity Act State of Oregon: Death With Dignity Act

[Redtigerlily]

Hey, no judgment here. I looked it up and it appears that Montana, Oregon, and Washington states have all passed laws regarding Physician Assisted suicide. This I found on http://www.nightingalealliance.org/pdf/state_grid.pdf. I don't really know how reliable it is but that was what I found. Hope it helps.

[JRD2002]

Any further posts that try to steer this discussion to a religious/ethical debate will be removed and, if warranted, points will be issued.

Thanks!

Also a big thanks to those of you who constructively contributed to the post!

[tencat]

Oregon and Washington have the laws, I believe. Montana does too? Haven't heard of it, but that doesn't mean it's not the case.

I don't think the OP meant to start a debate, but I don't see where OP specifically said that debate was not encouraged. JMHO

[sharkdiver]

Oregon and Washington have the laws, I believe. Montana does too? Haven't heard of it, but that doesn't mean it's not the case.

I don't think the OP meant to start a debate, but I don't see where OP specifically said that debate was not encouraged. JMHO

OP Quote:

"I am aware that this is a very controversial topic but am really just interested in learning more about the subject. I can make up my own mind about the morality of assisted suicide so everyone try to leave your opinions at the door. In the words of Joe Friday, "Just the facts, ma'am."

[talaxandra]

One of the most valuable, challenging, confronting books I've read on the topic was Roger S Magnusson's Angels of Death: Exploring the Euthanasia Underground. He interviewed doctors, nurses, therapists, community workers and a funeral director who were informally linked in a network of euthansia provision for patients during the peak of the HIV/AIDS crisis, about what their practices and experiences were.

The book, based on his PhD research, was published in Australia shortly after the Nancy Crisk case polarised Australian debate about legalised euthanasia, amidst a flurry of legal action and legislation on the topic.

It's very readable, beautifully articulated many of the arguments about the debate, and is grounded in vivid real-life practitioner experiences. As a researcher I was also really impressed by his layers of confidentiality and his ability to get the stories out of a population so vulnerable to prosecution and professional sanction. It's compelling and accessible reading that challenged what I thought I knew about the topic, and presents a strong case for legal oversight of something that's practiced, poorly, across the globe.

[delilas]

Kudos for a good topic. It makes you think, especially in cases like ALS, where the person has complete knowledge for years that his body is completely giving up on him, one neuron at a time. Its like a lot of topics to me - would I choose it for myself? Not likely. But I would rather see someone go that way than with a bullet, and if I were a physician of that mindset, I'd rather be the one to help them rather than to let them suffer.