News
Visit this page regularly for articles and stories written by Minnesota Alliance for Ethical Healthcare Alliance Partners, as well as links to pertinent news articles from reputable sources.

What is Assisted Suicide?
Assisted suicide, euthanasia, and refusal of life-sustaining treatment may be related, but they are not the same thing. Defining these terms is a crucial first step towards ethical care in Minnesota. Assisted Suicide is : Suicide committed by someone with assistance from another person. That definition from Merriam-Webster covers the basics. However, in terms specific to

Legalizing assisted suicide is no answer for the disabled like me.
We need care and support to live with hope, not to “die with dignity.” I’m thankful for those who helped me see the worth of life. By Jean Swenson, Member of Minnesota Alliance for Ethical Healthcare Originally published in the Star Tribune – December 21, 2016 ‘I’d rather be dead than disabled.” I remember feeling

Hindsight Exposes Danger of Assisted Suicide
The New York Times has been on an assisted suicide and euthanasia kick lately. The most recent piece on the matter, “Should I Help My Patients Die?,” is a column by pro-PAS physician Jessica Nutik Zitter, which discusses the practice of assisted suicide as well as the necessity for it to be done safely. As

New Zealand’s Reasons for Rejecting Assisted Suicide
After considering the legalization of physician-assisted suicide for two years, New Zealand Parliament’s largest-ever inquiry refrained from making it legal. The inquiry followed a petition signed by nearly 9000, requesting a thorough investigation into public attitudes on physician-assisted suicide, as well as its final legalization. A report by the Health Committee covering a summary of

Oh Canada: Assisted Suicide Being Pushed Upon the Disabled
Assisted suicide became legal in Canada one year ago, and last week yet another disturbing story about the law’s chilling consequences turned up. Sheila Elson claims a Labrador-Grenfell Health doctor suggested physician-assisted suicide for her disabled daughter: “’His words were ‘assisted suicide death was legal in Canada,’ she told CBC. ‘I was shocked, and said,

Assisted suicide anything but inevitable
Assisted suicide proponents in Minnesota often claim that it’s only a matter of time before assisted suicide is legal. Reality, however, shows a different picture: people from diverse backgrounds across America are saying no to assisted suicide and preventing its spread. So far in 2017, 23 states have rejected assisted suicide bills. These include states

When death saves money, there’s a duty to die
Physician-assisted suicide is often depicted as a completely autonomous decision. Pro-PAS groups push for the idea that assisted suicide will “[give] us freedom and empowerment to set our own timeframe” with no pressure from outside sources. Ironically, the legalization of assisted suicide introduces significant outside pressure into a patient’s decision – the pressure to end

PAS groups: Provide assisted suicide, or you’re a bad doctor
Don’t want physician-assisted suicide? Then don’t get one, is one of the arguments we often hear from proponents of assisted dying. Same goes for physicians: Don’t want to be involved in the process? You don’t have to – or so they say. In states where physician-assisted suicide has been legalized, doctors are technically not obliged

Celebrating suicide and ignoring consequences in California
“Don’t let the facts get in the way of a party” seems to be the mantra for Compassion & Choices. The group marked the one year anniversary of legalized assisted suicide in California with a “celebratory” report, highlighting a number of small “victories” in their push for widespread suicide-on-demand in the Golden State. Nearly 500

Emotional Distress, Not Physical Pain, Driving Factor in Assisted Suicide
If anything, proponents of assisted suicide are consistent. They typically make their case for legalizing this risky, dangerous practice by trotting out a familiar scene: a dying individual needlessly suffering from immense physical pain as family members helplessly stand by. Legalization of assisted suicide could spare thousands of others from a similar “undignified” fate. Or so we