(The Connecticut Mirror) – The claims made in the recent opinion editorial advocating for Connecticut to legalize assisted suicide deserve a closer look.
As a physician myself, assisted suicide contradicts the physician’s most basic calling, to provide cure and hope for the patient. The prescription is no longer aimed to prolong life and delay death. Instead, death is the treatment.
The author places a large emphasis on autonomy. However, even if a terminally ill patient appears to have free choice, their choice can still be shaped by fears such as financial stress, access to care, fear of being a burden, family dynamics, etc.
The annual Oregon report on assisted suicide in the state does not track subtle forms of influence; absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of absence. CONTINUE