Weeks 49-52/2018 in the Death with Dignity Movement

In the weeks from December 3 to December 31, 2018:

• A new Medscape survey found that 58 percent of physicians in the U.S. believe aid in dying should be legal as an end-of-life option, up from 57 percent in 2016, 54 percent in 2014, and 46 percent in 2010.
• The city council of Las Cruces, New Mexico, passed a resolution in support of aid-in-dying legislation.
• Also in New Mexico, state legislators pre-filed a death with dignity bill in both chambers of the state legislature.
• And Hawaii prepared for the Our Care, Our Choice Act to go into effect on January 1.

Hawaii

• “Hawaii’s Assisted Suicide Law: Patient, Provider Education Key,” Bloomberg Law, 12/26/2018 (paywall)
• “Hawai‘i Medical-Aid-In-Dying Law Takes Effect Jan. 1, 2019,” Maui Now, 12/31/2018

Maine

• “Tom Waddell: Death with dignity should be a choice,” Kennebec Journal, 12/7/2018
• “Editorial: Maine should support Death with Dignity legislation,” Seacoast Online, 12/13/2018
• “Please allow for death with dignity,” Kennebec Journal, 12/23/2018
• “Six Maine political stories to watch in 2019,” Bangor Daily News, 12/26/2018

New Mexico

• “Las Cruces backs assisted suicide legislation,” Albuquerque Journal via Associated Press, 12/19/2018
• “Assisted suicide bill filed in House,” KQRE, 12/20/2018
• “New Mexico Bill Adds Telemedicine to Assisted Suicide Debate,” mHealth Intelligence, 12/27/2018

New York

• “Medical aid in dying debate rages in New York,” Pavement Pieces, 12/13/2018
• “Progressive Perspective: Time is right for aid in dying,” Olean Times Herald, 12/11/2018
• “Hospice gives ‘Home for the Holidays’ a whole new meaning,” WBFO, 12/28/2018

Around the U.S.

• California: “How California’s right-to-die law survived 2018,” Press-Enterprise (via Orange County Register), 12/28/2018
• District of Columbia: “She fought cancer and Congress for D.C.’s right-to-die law. Would she be able to use it?” Washington Post, 12/25/2018
• Massachusetts: “Letter: Medical aid in dying should be legal in Massachusetts,” Telegram.com, 12/14/2018
• New Hampshire: “People should be free to die on their own terms,” Seacoast Online, 12/18/2018
• Washington: “The View From Here,” Topic, December 2018
• “The Nuance of Death With Dignity,” Next Avenue, 12/13/2018

• “Medscape Ethics Report 2018: Life, Death, and Pain,” Medscape, 12/12/2018
• “More physicians support assisted suicide, 6 other survey findings,” Becker Hospital Review, 12/12/2018
• “Patients more likely to approve of medical aid-in-dying than doctors, survey finds,” Fierce Healthcare, 12/13/2018
• “Medical Aid in Dying: Ethical and Practical Issues for Psychiatrists,” Psychiatric Times, December 2018