In the two weeks from November 18 to December 1, 2019:
- Members of Oregon’s congressional delegation confronted the federal Drug Enforcement Agency about barriers to accessing death with dignity laws;
- Advocates for assisted dying made their voices heard in newspapers across the country.
From KTVZ-21 in Oregon: “Oregon lawmakers press DEA on barriers to ‘death with dignity,'” 11/22/2019
“In a letter to DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon, Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, Suzanne Bonamici and Kurt Schrader asked for details on the agency’s process for approving applications to import medication used for death with dignity, or “medical aid in dying,” specifically the commonly prescribed and short-acting barbiturates pentobarbital and secobarbital.
The DEA has the authority to approve the importation of certain drugs, including pentobarbital and secobarbital, yet applications are currently languishing at the agency to import these medications and lower the cost of end of life decisions for people choosing death with dignity, the lawmakers said.”
Read more here.
Around the U.S.
California: “Choosing Your Death,” Anderson Valley Advertiser, 11/20/2019
Kansas: “Letter to the editor: Unitarians deserve religious freedom,” Topeka Capital-Journal, 11/29/2019
Maine: “Letter to the editor: Coverage about Brooksville couple includes error about Death with Dignity Act,” Portland Press-Herald, 11/29/2019
Massachusetts: “Letter: Make end-of-life wishes clearly known,”Berkshire Eagle, 11/27/2019
New York:
- Death with dignity in New York remains contentious,” Rochester First, 11/18/2019
- “Another Voice: Medical Aid in Dying Act will reduce suffering,” Buffalo News, 11/21/2019
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