Report on Oregon's Death with Dignity Act Shows Law Continues Providing Support for Dying Patients

March 8, 2007

PORTLAND, OR - The release of today's Oregon Health Division report on Oregon's Death with Dignity Act for 2006 shows that for the 9th consecutive year, the law worked exactly as intended by the voters, giving 46 dying patients dignity, control, and choice at the end of their lives.

A link to the Oregon Health Division Report can be found at www.deathwithdignity.org.

After nine years of implementation, fewer than 300 people have used the law, according to Peg Sandeen of the Death with Dignity National Center.

DDNC is a non-profit off-shoot of the political action committee that passed Oregon's original Death with Dignity Act in 1994.

The report said most of the 46 people who used the law suffered from final stages of cancer, matching results from other years. Their average age was 74 and most of the people also were involved in hospice, meaning they were receiving excellent end-of-life care. These results also mirror finding from previous years.

"In the past five years, between 37 and 46 people have used the law each year, a remarkable level of consistency that shows how rarely and carefully the law is used," said Sandeen. "Once again, we see that there were no major complications, that physicians were in good faith compliance with the law, and that the Oregon Health Division was extremely careful in monitoring the safeguards in the law."

Sandeen said implementation of the law remains exceptional because the safeguards put in place ensure that patients control the process, doctors and pharmacists have clearly defined roles and family members are involved.

"What we have shown in Oregon over these past nine years is that the Oregon Death with Dignity Law has provided aid and comfort to dying people. More importantly, end-of-life care has been dramatically improved. For patients -- even those who received the prescription, but chose not to use it -- the comfort was in knowing they had choices as they faced their final days," said Sandeen.

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Death with Dignity National Center, 520 SW 6^th Ave, Suite 1030, Portland, OR 97204 www.deathwithdignity.org

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