Assisting terminally ill patients to die is a controversial issue. A certain society started in 1980 in a garage in America did much to advance the cause. The hemlock society euthanasia and the right-to-die are well known to many people.
Jack Humphrey, the founder, named his organization after a plant, a tincture of which had been used by Socrates to end his life with dignity. The organization of this name no longer exists, although some of its chapters still use the name. Today the term aid-in-dying is preferred to the term assisted-suicide due to the negative connotations associated with suicide.
The attempts of the organization to bring attention to this controversial issue over the years were many pronged. One of the ways was to attempt to change laws through political activity. Initially these activities were largely unsuccessful. However, as time went on, various events occurred that drew more attention to the issue. One of these was the conviction of Jack Kervorkian of second-degree murder. He had videotaped himself giving a lethal injection to an ALS sufferer and it was aired on television.
Another way that more people were forced to think about the issue was through the publication of many books written by Derek Humphrey. Pamphlets, audio and video tapes were also used to educate people. A book called Final Exit made it onto the New York Times bestseller list. The first account of a physician assisting a patient with her death, was published in the New England Journal in 1991. Dr Timothy Quill described how he had given his terminally ill patient, Diane, barbiturates and told her how much she needed to take.
Although the concept of aid in dying was becoming more widely known, having laws passed to support was more difficult. Oregon was the first state to pass a Death with Dignity Law in 1994. After more than ten years, studies have shown that this law has not been used by disabled, poor or uninsured people as was feared but mostly by well-educated cancer sufferers. Five states now have laws like this in place.
The political struggle to have such laws passed resulted in further research. People looked into other ways to achieve dignified death such as the use of helium gas. The law passed in Oregon has now survived for more than ten years and studies have revealed that it has not been used by the disabled, poverty stricken or uninsured, as was originally feared. Well-educated, cancer sufferers have been the ones to make use of it.
The original organization held many national conferences over the years, began a Patient Advocacy Program and provided much information in the form of pamphlets, books, video and audio tapes. Its quarterly magazine has become the largest of this type of publication in the Western Hemisphere. The national organization does not exist any more, although local chapters do still bear the name. It evolved into End-of-Life Choices and the organization is now called Compassion and Choices.
Compassion and Choices pursues a multi-pronged approach just like the original organization. It continues to work at having favorable legislation passed. It helps to ensure that patients have access to all the available options when it comes to the ending their lives. It works at increasing the control of the patient wherever possible and helping to prevent intervention that is not wanted. Above all, its aim is to make dying a legitimate and open action for the terminally ill.
Jack Humphrey, the founder, named his organization after a plant, a tincture of which had been used by Socrates to end his life with dignity. The organization of this name no longer exists, although some of its chapters still use the name. Today the term aid-in-dying is preferred to the term assisted-suicide due to the negative connotations associated with suicide.
The attempts of the organization to bring attention to this controversial issue over the years were many pronged. One of the ways was to attempt to change laws through political activity. Initially these activities were largely unsuccessful. However, as time went on, various events occurred that drew more attention to the issue. One of these was the conviction of Jack Kervorkian of second-degree murder. He had videotaped himself giving a lethal injection to an ALS sufferer and it was aired on television.
Another way that more people were forced to think about the issue was through the publication of many books written by Derek Humphrey. Pamphlets, audio and video tapes were also used to educate people. A book called Final Exit made it onto the New York Times bestseller list. The first account of a physician assisting a patient with her death, was published in the New England Journal in 1991. Dr Timothy Quill described how he had given his terminally ill patient, Diane, barbiturates and told her how much she needed to take.
Although the concept of aid in dying was becoming more widely known, having laws passed to support was more difficult. Oregon was the first state to pass a Death with Dignity Law in 1994. After more than ten years, studies have shown that this law has not been used by disabled, poor or uninsured people as was feared but mostly by well-educated cancer sufferers. Five states now have laws like this in place.
The political struggle to have such laws passed resulted in further research. People looked into other ways to achieve dignified death such as the use of helium gas. The law passed in Oregon has now survived for more than ten years and studies have revealed that it has not been used by the disabled, poverty stricken or uninsured, as was originally feared. Well-educated, cancer sufferers have been the ones to make use of it.
The original organization held many national conferences over the years, began a Patient Advocacy Program and provided much information in the form of pamphlets, books, video and audio tapes. Its quarterly magazine has become the largest of this type of publication in the Western Hemisphere. The national organization does not exist any more, although local chapters do still bear the name. It evolved into End-of-Life Choices and the organization is now called Compassion and Choices.
Compassion and Choices pursues a multi-pronged approach just like the original organization. It continues to work at having favorable legislation passed. It helps to ensure that patients have access to all the available options when it comes to the ending their lives. It works at increasing the control of the patient wherever possible and helping to prevent intervention that is not wanted. Above all, its aim is to make dying a legitimate and open action for the terminally ill.
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You can visit fenregistration.org for more helpful information about The Hemlock Society Euthanasia And Aid In Dying.
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