Weeks 50-52/2017 in the Death with Dignity Movement

In the final weeks of 2017, from December 11 to December 31, 2017:

• We marked one year of implementation of the Colorado End of Life Options Act.
• Vermont Department of Health reported that 29 state residents used Act 39, the Death with Dignity, in its four years.
• The Honolulu Civil Beat released a poll showing 63 percent of state residents are in favor of aid-in-dying legislation.
• Our friend, a death with dignity advocate in Maine, Eva Thompson, died.

California

• “Characterizing Kaiser Permanente Southern California’s Experience With the California End of Life Option Act in the First Year of Implementation,” JAMA Internal Medicine, 12/26/2018
• “Why I’m Ending My Life – Bill Andrews,” Integrated MD Care, 12/14/2017

Colorado

• “Voting for aid in dying was easy, but one Colorado couple struggled toward a graceful death,” Denver Post, 12/14/2017
• “Aid-in-dying medications can run from $500 to $4,000 in Colorado,” Denver Post, 12/14/2017
• “Colorado’s Aid-In-Dying Law Gave His Wife The Peace She Sought, Herb Myers Says,” Colorado Public Radio, 12/19/17
• “Perspective on Colorado’s aid-in-dying law after one year,” & “Colorado woman ends her life under physician-assisted suicide law,” 9News, 12/22/2017
• “Aid-in-dying process not as graceful as Colorado couple imagined,” Durango Herald, 12/29/2017

Iowa

• “Ickes: End-of-Life Options Act brings up emotional issue, difficult personal choice,” Quad City Times, 12/14/2017
• “Guest view: The Christian case for right-to-die,” Quad City Times, 12/26/2017

Massachusetts

• “Falmouth Doctor Pleased With Mass Medical Society Changing Stance on Medical Aid in Dying,” CapeCod.com, 12/11/2017
• “Betty Lynne Wolfson: Urges approval for End of Life Options Act,” Daily Hampshire Gazette, 12/22/2017
• “Editorial: Time for End of Life Options Act in Massachusetts,” Daily Hampshire Gazette, 12/29/2017

Vermont

• “Twenty-Nine Vermonters Have Died Using End-of-Life Law, State Says,” Seven Days, 12/18/2017
• “Report: 29 Vermonters died using physician-assisted death law,” Burlington Free Press, 12/18/17

Elsewhere

• Hawaii: “Civil Beat Poll: Support Is Still Strong For Medical Aid In Dying,” Honolulu Civil Beat, 12/13/2017
• New Hampshire: “A fuller tale of ‘end of life’ bills, by Larry Phillips,” Sentinel Source, 12/16/2017
• New York: “Making Healthy End-of-Life Choices,” East End Beacon, 12/11/2017

Other Stories

• “Assisted Dying: The Motivations, Benefits, and Pitfalls of Hastening Death,” Monitor on Psychology, December 2017

Featured image by josh hunter.