In California, 111 of terminally ill people died under euthanasia law
'28.06.2017'
Source: USA Today
In California, after the 2016 Euthanasia Act entered into force in 111, incurable patients of the state passed away on their own. According to state Department of Health officials, this data is for the first half of the year, from June to December 2016.
A total of 191 people who remained to live for six months or less agreed to euthanasia. They received medicines that cause death. According to a Department report, only 111 of them took these pills.
It is noted that 58,6% of the dead was diagnosed with the last stage of cancer, and 18% suffered from neuromuscular diseases (ALS, Parkinson's).
The majority of those who have passed away (just over 75%) are people aged 60-89, of whom 89,5% are white.
In the United States, Oregon became the first state to pass a “right to death” law. This was in 1997. Colorado, Montana, Vermont and Washington, DC can also officially offer help to patients in the artificial interruption of life on a legal basis.
In California, the euthanasia law gained in force after Brittany Maynard, a resident of the state with an inoperable form of brain cancer, was forced to travel to Oregon to take advantage of the adopted "Death with Dignity Act." She passed away on November 1, 2014.
“The data showed that even in the early months of the law, it worked well, the terminally ill Californians were able to take comfort in the knowledge that they had a way to peacefully end the unbearable suffering,” said Matt Whitaker, director of Compassion & Choiceswho supported California's euthanasia law. “… We continue to work to ensure that every terminally ill Californian has equal access to all life-saving options, including hospice, pain management, palliative care and death care,” added Whitaker.
