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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 2, 2004)
Yousentme yDUf resume A last week. idea how long1 llookedatit?8 Nowyou do 7< ^JobVibe _Track who is looking at your resume, when and for how long. www.jobvibe.com TIMELINE OF OREGON'S DEATH WITH DIGNITY ACT • November 1994-Oregon voters pass the act, 51 percent to 49 percent. • October 1997 - Death With Dignity Act takes effect. • November 1997—Oregon voters defeat Ballot Measure 51, an attempt to repeal the act, 60 percent to 40 percent • 1998-The Oregon Legislature proposes the Lethal Drug Abuse Prevention Act, which would have revoked prescribing licenses for physicians who dispense drugs to hasten death. The act is later pulled from debate. • November 2001 - U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft issues an edict ordering the Drug Enforcement Agency agents to investigate physicians who prescribe lethal medications. • April 2002 - U.S. District Judge Robert Jones issues an injunction on Ashcroft’s directive. • May 2004 — 9th Circuit Court issues ruling against the directive. • Prescriptions for lethal doses of medication written statewide: 2003-67 2002- 58 2001- 44 2000- 39 1999- 33 1998- 24 • Terminal patients who died via physician assisted suicide: 2003- 42 2002- 38 2001- 21 2000- 27 1999- 27 1998-16 SOURCE: Oregon Department of Human Services LAW continued from page 1 "It's a very strong ruling and a clear rebuke of Attorney General John Ashcroft's attempt to overturn the will of Oregon voters," he said. He said the decision will help legit imize assisted suicide in other areas. "This decision, coupled with the ex cellent data from Oregon, means that I think we're closer to having a second state (allow assisted suicide) than we've ever been," he said. "This is clearly an example where the people are ahead of the politicians." Swenson said the court battle for assisted suicide is not finished, al though he is confident his cause "will prevail." "We fully suspect they will appeal," he said. 1 le also said Congress may step in at any time to decide the issue. "What's most important, especially for Oregonians to understand, is that this fight isn't over," he said. "We want Oregonians to be ever-vigilant." Dr. Glenn Gordon of Eugene, a semi-retired general surgeon who has practiced for nearly 50 years, said as sisted suicide has been "very success ful." Gordon said he has witnessed many patients die of illnesses without the ability to end their own lives. "I know that many of those pa tients would have liked to have this option," he said. "It became apparent to me that this was something that was desirable." Gordon said the ruling will be a re lief to physicians. He also said the rul ing may help clear the way for assist ed suicide in other states. "We all feel better knowing that the will of the people has been recog nized, " he said. "Mr. Ashcroft is trying to impose his own moral code on the rest of the country." Kevin Neely, a spokesman for My ers, said the ruling will allow doctors to participate in assisted suicide without worrying about breaking federal law. "The most fundamental aspect of the ruling is that it permits physicians and pharmacists to prescribe life-end ing medication without fear of retri bution from the federal government," he said. Neely said the chances of an appeal by the Justice Department are "prob ably even-money." "If they choose to appeal this, we'll continue to vigorously defend Ore gon's law," he said. He emphasized that the signifi cance of the decision extends beyond assisted suicide. "This issue is bigger than physician assisted suicide," he said. 'This victory sends a signal to the federal govern ment that (regulating medical prac tice) has been, is and will be the re sponsibility of individual states." However, some people have ex pressed opposition to assisted suicide. Father Reginald Martin, associate pastor at the St. Thomas More New man Center near the University, said he opposes assisted suicide. "1 think it's appalling," he said. "This is completely antithetical to everything doctors are supposed to do." Martin said a federal law should prohibit assisted suicide, although he feels the idea of assisted suicide itself should not even be an issue. 'The whole notion just strikes me as nothing short of inhuman," he said. Contact the city/state politics reporter at parkerhowell@dailyemerald.com. Oregon Daily Emerald. A campus tradition - over 100 years of publication. Oregon Daily Emerald P.o. Box 3159, Eugene OR 97403 The Oregon Daily Emerald is pub lished daily Monday through Friday during the school year by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.The Emerald operates inde pendently of the University with of fices in Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is private prop erty. The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law. 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