In 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020, legislation was filed in the Maryland General Assembly that would allow doctors to legally prescribe a lethal dose of medicine at the request of a patient who has been deemed mentally competent and who has received a terminal diagnosis — we call this physician-assisted suicide or PAS. These bills were ultimately withdrawn from consideration after successful advocacy by our coalition and other allies because they are unnecessary and dangerous for Maryland’s residents.
However, we know that the bill’s national advocates, Compassion & Choices, will file this legislation again this year in Maryland. They have shown their commitment to spending tens of millions of dollars nationally to pass bills like this across the country.
A coalition of disability advocates, members of the medical community, patient advocates, and religious organizations have joined together to advocate against these physician-assisted suicide bills, or what its proponents call “Death with Dignity.”
We encourage you to join the coalition and help us defeat this dangerous legislation. Sign up here so we can stay in touch and let you know how to help.
National organizations who have released statements in opposition to the practice of physician-assisted suicide:
- American Medical Association
- National Council on Disability
- National Spinal Cord Injury Association
- Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps (TASH)
- American College of Medical Quality
- American Medical Directors Association
- American Nurses Association
- National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization
- American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today
- Physicians for Compassionate Care Education Foundation
- American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT)
- National Council on Disability (NCD)^
- Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)
- Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)^
- Association or Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL)*^
- National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)*^
- National Spinal Cord Injury Association*
- TASH*^
- The World Association of Persons with Disabilities (WAPD)*^
- The World Institute on Disability (WID)*^
* – Listed on the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund’s opposition statement as opposing physician assisted suicide
^- Listed on the “Not Dead Yet” advocacy group’s website as opposing physician assisted suicide