Three reasons why we need to stop physician-assisted suicide.

Alex Schadenberg

Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Bill Spadea from NJ 101.5 has published articles and interviews opposing assisted suicide. New Jersey is debating assisted suicide Bill S1072.

Recently,  New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney exercised his political power by replacing two members on the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee who were intending to vote against the Assisted Suicide bill, Bill S1072.

Sweeney replaced these members with two people who voted in favour of Bill S1072 : Senator Scutari .. and himself.

Spadea writes:

He was actually quoted in our news report saying that the assisted suicide bill is not really suicide. What? Very sad that Steve Sweeney is willing to play politics with peoples lives. Very disturbing that the top guy in the legislature is willing to ignore the pleas from medical professionals, disabled advocates, patients and families in order to push his own agenda.

Spadea interviews Kristen Hanson (above), the widow of JJ Hansen, who was the President of the Patients Rights Action Fund. Hanson explains three reasons why assisted suicide must be defeated.

First, doctors get some diagnoses wrong. In her husband's case, he was told he had only a few months to live. Those months turned into years that he was able to spend with his loving and growing family.

Second, the proposed law lacks safeguards for patients suffering from mental health issues and depression. It's a 'prescribe the death pill and move on' mentality with no follow up leaving patients vulnerable to terrible and irreversible actions.

Third, and this may be the most frightening part of the bill, legal doctor assisted suicide leaves the door open for insurance companies to DENY life saving treatments in favor of the lower cost option of suicide.

Further reasons to oppose assisted suicide:

• 12 myths about assisted suicide and medical aid in dying.
• John Kelly's testimony opposing New Jersey assisted suicide bill.
• Diane Coleman: Why I oppose assisted suicide laws.

Assisted suicide legislation has failed in the US at every level

By Alex Schadenberg

Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

J.J. & Kristen Hanson

The Washington Post published an excellent article by writer Paige Winfield Cunningham concerning the fact that assisted suicide legislation has either been defeated or quashed in the 27 States where this legislation was introduced. Further to that the courts continue to declare that there is no right to assisted suicide. The article states:

New York’s highest court upheld the state’s ban on assisted death in September, ruling unanimously that the terminally ill patients who brought the case don’t have a constitutional right to obtain life-ending drugs from a doctor. 

Federal lawmakers, too, are pushing back against the controversial idea. A spending bill passed by the House last month would block the District's assisted suicide law, which went into effect in February. Eleven House members—including six Democrats—have introduced a resolution condemning the practice. 

“It undermines a key safeguard that protects our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, including the elderly, people with disabilities and people experiencing psychiatric diagnoses,” the resolution says. “Americans deserve better.” 

Doctors' groups remain overwhelmingly opposed to assisted suicide. Although the California Medical Association switched its stance from opposing to neutral in 2015, other state medical associations remain opposed. So does the American Medical Association, which considers it to be “fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer” and poses “serious societal risks.” 

A top concern about legalizing assisted suicide is that it could put financial pressure on patients to choose that option instead of treatment, if their insurer covers life-ending medication but not life-extending therapies. Another is that it could be chosen by patients just as they’re most susceptible to depression while they’re fighting aggressive illnesses. 

That’s what prompted J.J. Hanson, a 36-year-old former staffer to New York Democratic governors Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson, to form a group called the Patients’ Rights Action Fund as he fights Stage 4 glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer (the same cancer diagnosed in Maynard and now Arizona's GOP Sen. John McCain). 

When Hanson was first diagnosed in May 2014, his doctors gave him four months to live. He has since responded well to aggressive treatment through chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy. But that didn’t happen right away. In the fifth month of treatment, while confined to bed in a weakened state, Hanson had thoughts of giving up, his wife Kristen told me. 

The couple fears that had Hanson been able to get life-ending medications, he may have chosen to take them in those dark moments and missed out on subsequent years with his wife and two young sons. (Hanson was unable to speak with me because he’s fighting a reoccurrence after being in remission for two years.)

“We had no idea at the time he was having those kinds of thoughts,” Kristen said.  

“So when he saw this idea of assisted suicide being presented as a safe option only given to patients who are of sound mind, he would say no, that’s not a foolproof safeguard. Depression is something that is very difficult to diagnose.” 

Kristen said the issue isn’t one she and J.J. ever seriously considered until J.J. was facing a terminal illness. Now she’s convinced that public opinion could be shifted by explaining it could put emotionally vulnerable patients at risk — and persuade insurers to cover lethal medications instead of more expensive but lifesaving treatments. 

I have edited this article for space and content.

Resolution opposing assisted suicide to be debated in US Congress.

By Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The Washington Times published an excellent article about the press conference organized by Rep Brad Wenstrup (Ohio) and the National Alliance Against Legalizing Assisted Suicide announcing the introduction of Resolution 80 opposing assisted suicide. According to the Washington Times Wenstrup stated:

“My feeling is when the government supports, encourages or facilitates suicide, whether assisted by physicians or otherwise, we devalue our fellow citizens, our fellow human beings,” Mr. Wenstrup said during the press conference at the Longworth House Office Building. “I don’t believe that’s who we should be.”

Dozens of disability rights leaders attended the press conference. 

Anita Cameron, the minority outreach director for the disability rights group Not Dead Yet was reportedly stated:

Anita Cameron, minority outreach director for Not Dead Yet, said she has been protesting efforts to repeal Obamacare over the past few days. She said physician-assisted suicide laws only exacerbate the problems with the health care system. 

“That kind of ties in with assisted suicide because if you’re taking away health care from people, it’s just that much easier, if assisted suicide also passed, it’s that much easier to recommend prescribed suicide pills for people,” Ms. Cameron said. “And that’s something we don’t want.”

J.J. and Kristen Hanson

Statements on behalf of J.J. Hanson, the President of the Patients Rights Action Fund, were read by his wife Kristen. Hanson has been affected by recent seizures, Hanson stated:

If assisted suicide had been available at the time of his diagnosis, he would have been tempted to end his life, especially during a bout of depression. 

“As I wondered, ‘Am I too much of a burden to my family?’ When I asked, ‘Is ending my life easier than this?’ I thought about it, and I considered it,” said Mrs. Hanson, reading for her husband. “Thankfully, I did not end my life, and that is why I am here today.”

• Media Release: Members introduce bipartisan resolution on the dangers of legalizing assisted suicide.
• Text of Resolution H. Con. Res. 80.