Alarm over Oregon assisted suicide stats

Campaigners have expressed concern about various aspects of Oregon's assisted suicide law after an analysis of new statistics was published.

Oregon publishes an annual report with a number of statistics about the background of people who ask for death, the handling of the lethal medication, the role of the doctor, and the moment of death.

A review of the latest tranche of data by bioethics platform BioEdge notes that 238 people died in the state in 2021 after ingesting lethal drugs. Most patients were 65 years or older (81%), college educated (45%) and white (95%). The most common underlying condition was cancer (61%), followed by neurological disease (15%) and heart disease (12%).

The statistics show that the most common reasons given for seeking an assisted death were not to do with pain, which is often assumed to be the motivator. The main reasons that people requested death were “losing autonomy” (93%), and “less able to engage in activities making life enjoyable” (92%). “Inadequate pain control, or concern about it” was only cited by 27%.

Complications with assisted death increased in 2021. Five people (3 in 2020) had “Difficulty ingesting/regurgitated” and one person “Regained consciousness”. For more than half of the patients who opted for an assisted death, no information is available about complications, meaning they could be present in many more cases.

Although depression is known to be associated with requests to die, only 2 patients were referred to psychiatrists in 2021. And anorexia was listed as a cause of death for the first time.

Commenting on the figures, anti-assisted suicide campaign Better Way stated:

"Oregon is often cited as a good example of an 'assisted dying' law by proponents. However, the data paints a different picture. 9 in 10 people are opting for assisted death because of fear and hopelessness. Is facilitating this really the mark of a compassionate society?

"Oregon's health care system is endorsing requests for assisted death motivated by fear about a loss of autonomy or mobility. This sends a dangerous and regressive message - that disabled lives are not worth living. Serious complications are occurring and a lack of data and monitoring in the state means we don't know how many people are spending their last hours in pain, discomfort and distress.

"It's also clear that medics are not giving due regard to the role depression and other mental health conditions can have in motivating a person's desire to end their life. Assisting a depressed person to commit suicide is not compassionate and it undermines suicide prevention.

"If this is the situation in Oregon, which changed its law in 1996, what guarantee is there that a law in the UK will avoid the same dangers? There is none. We ought to run from this situation not towards it. To uphold safety, dignity, and equality we must oppose assisted suicide."