Washington Death with Dignity Act

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The Washington Death with Dignity Act (German: Law of the State of Washington about dying in dignity ) is a law in the US state of Washington from the year 2008. It allows a doctor-assisted suicide and regulates the requirements for this. With the law, which is largely based on that of the neighboring state of Oregon of 1997, Washington is the second US state to legalize euthanasia. The law came into force on March 5, 2009.

Content of the law

Essentially, the law grants the right to have lethal medicines and to take them yourself. Permission can only be given to terminally ill, mentally sane, adult Washington residents with a remaining life expectancy of a maximum of six months. The law requires two verbal requests and a written request for a prescription of the deadly drug as well as an opinion from two doctors. Before taking the medication, there is a waiting time and confirmation from a doctor that it is an informed and well-considered decision. Doctors, patients, and anyone else who has acted in good faith enjoy criminal and civil immunity.

The provisions in the law include:

  • The patient must be an adult, 18 years of age or older, and resident in Washington State.
  • The patient must be able to understand what has to be proven by two doctors (or an opinion on the mental state).
  • The patient must be terminally ill and have a life expectancy of less than 6 months, which must be checked by two doctors.
  • The patient must make his request voluntarily and without compulsion, which has been checked by two doctors.
  • The patient must have been informed of all other options including palliative care and social support services.
  • There is a 15-day waiting period between the first oral request and a written request.
  • There is a 48-hour waiting period between the written request and the granting of approval.
  • The written request must be signed by two independent witnesses, at least one of whom is not related to the patient, nor is the operator or employee of the healthcare facility that is caring for the patient.
  • The patient is encouraged to speak to their family (voluntarily) about their decision.
  • The patient can change his mind and withdraw the application at any time and in any way.

History of origin

In 2008, Washington State voters voted for an euthanasia law through the Washington Initiative Measure 1000 (Voting Initiative # 1000). Booth Gardner , the former governor of Washington who suffered from Parkinson's disease , advocated the passage of such a law .

On November 4, 2008, 1,715,219 votes (57.82%) were cast for the referendum and 1,251,255 votes (42.18%) against, 30 out of 39 counties voted for the initiative.

In 1991 the similar voting initiative No. 119 was rejected by the Washington voters with 54% to 46%. This initiative would have allowed doctors to administer the lethal dose directly when the terminally ill could not take it themselves. In contrast to this legislative initiative, the current law requires that the patient take the drug himself.

The Washington legislative initiative is based on the Oregon Ballot Measure No. 16 , which gave rise to the Oregon Death with Dignity Act in 1994 . Oregon is the only state in the US with similar euthanasia legislation.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Health-care facilities scrambling to deal with Death with Dignity Act . In: Seattle Times , February 2, 2009. 
  2. ^ Initiative Measure 1000 "The Washington Death with Dignity Act" (PDF; 974 kB) In: Secretary of State of Washington . January 24, 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
  3. ↑ November 4, 2008 General Election . In: Washington Secretary of State . Archived from the original on February 23, 2009. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
  4. ↑ November 4, 2008 General Election . In: Washington Secretary of State . Archived from the original on May 7, 2009. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
  5. ^ Kathie Durbin: Right-to-die initiative making its way to state ballot. ( Memento of February 7, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) In: The Wenatchee World , July 14, 2008
  6. ↑ Initiative 1000 would let patients get help ending their lives . In: The Seattle Times , September 21, 2008.