Physician-Assisted Death in the Pacific Northwest

摘要

In 1997, Oregon became the first state to allow physicianassisted suicide. Eleven years later, Oregon’s neighbor, Washington State, became the second. Modeled after Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act, Washington’s Initiative 1000 was approved by 57.91% of voters in November 2008.Washington’s new law permits terminally ill, competent, adult Washington residents, who are medically predicted to have 6months or less to live, to request and self-administer lethal medication prescribed by a physician (Proposed Initiatives to the People 2008).