Doctor-Prescribed Suicide Victimizes Older People, Those With Disabilities

“Legislation circulating in the Wisconsin legislature to legalize doctor-prescribed suicide will create a devastating impact on older people and those with disabilities should it be enacted,” stated Chelsea Shields, Legislative Director for Wisconsin Right to Life. “The reasons why this legislation is dangerous to vulnerable populations are many, making it a recipe for elder abuse.”

Some of the dangers of legalization are as follows:

Cost-Saving: It is cheaper to provide $300 for lethal drugs than to pay for treatment. Two patients in Oregon learned this first-hand when they were denied state funding for chemotherapy and offered suicide pills, even though they didn’t request them.

Mistakes: Patients could ask for suicide pills prematurely based on a faulty diagnosis.

Abuse: The witness to a request could be an heir of the patient. Since there is no medical supervision for ingestion of the lethal drugs, an heir or abusive caregiver could coerce the patient, pick up the drugs and even administer them since there are no witnesses required at the death of the patient.

“It is imperative that Wisconsin maintain its longstanding law which prohibits assisting a suicide. Wisconsin Right to Life and other organizations will work diligently to ensure that older people and those with disabilities continue to receive the full protection given by this law,” continued Shields.

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Media Contact: Chelsea Shields 414-778-5780

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