In August 2016, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) released the 14th edition of their annual report measuring state activity to reduce cancer incidence and mortality, entitled “How Do You Measure Up?” This report not only measures how each state is currently doing, but also includes ideas about how policymakers can help...
Read MoreA recent op-ed in the LA Times may read like a strong argument in support of the new physician assisted suicide law in California, but as the title hints, this law does not provide patients with a terminal illness any dignity. And as the author points out, perhaps inadvertently, the real-life implementation of this law...
Read MoreAn article in The Week examined a recent study on physician assisted suicide in the U.S. and across the world, writing about how the study paints a generally positive picture of PAS implementation. However, as the article notes, the study includes some very troubling findings that should not be ignored. First, the study which was...
Read MoreNew York State remains one of the most contentious battlefields in the fight against physician assisted suicide legislation. Proponents recently claimed that a bill will pass within the next two years – despite a recent ruling by the New York Court of Appeals upholding a New York law prohibiting assisted suicide. In that ruling the...
Read MoreWhile Canadian parliament recently approved right-to-die legislation, legalizing the practice across the country, opposition from hospice and palliative care centers has not gone unnoticed. Canada will now allow hospice and palliative care centers to opt-out of providing medical aid to die. The executive director of the West Island Centre for Palliative Care told the Montreal...
Read MoreWe would like to remind everyone about the importance of honoring and investing in the unseen care our medical professionals are giving those whose time may be short. The New Yorker recently brought to light the daily work of a hospice worker and how comprehensively they work to care for patients. The incredibly moving piece...
Read MoreWe have some big news to report out of New Mexico. The New Mexico Supreme Court recently ruled that terminally ill residents do not have a constitutionally protected right to physician assisted suicide. This decision by the state Supreme Court is a major win for those fighting to prevent the legalization of PAS. The case...
Read MoreOur victory this past legislative session was far from the end of the battle against this dangerous policy, but it’s a battle that shows continued signs of success. While California has voted to permit assisted suicide as of June 9, 2016, a number of hospitals across the state have pro-actively decided to opt-out and not...
Read MoreAs we have previously covered, Colorado’s assisted suicide proposal was withdrawn by legislators because they knew it didn’t have enough support. The Denver Post reported then on how Colorado House Democrats made the “rare move” to move the assisted suicide bill off the calendar before any floor debate because they knew it was unsettled. Again,...
Read MoreWithout question, we are pleased with the continued positive developments that we’ve seen around the United States, fighting back against a coordinated push for legalizing assisted suicide. That said, we are occasionally forced to remember that this overall debate is far from over, and that it is happening around the world. Despite some clear evidence...
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