Euthanasia: a good and gentle death

[Dr H]

In Oregon "Death with Dignity" law was passed by voter initiative in 1994.  It was immediately challenged by the federal government and litigation went on for two years.  That disposed of, conservative religious elements in the state put an initiative to repeal the law on the ballot in 1997, and for a second time Oregonians supported the law, albeit by a slim majority.

There is an important legal distinction between "euthanasia" and "assisted suicide".  Technically, the first is being put to death by another person, either on their judgment of mercy, or by request.  With assisted suicide, a doctor may provide the patient with the means of ending their life, but the final administration of those means must be done by the patient themselves.  

Euthanasia is illegal everywhere in the United States (with extremely rare exceptions having been granted by court review of individual cases where a person has remained in a persistent vegetative state for a great length of time.)

What exists in Oregon, Washington, California, Hawaii, Colorado, and Vermont (and unofficially in Montana) is doctor assisted suicide, not euthanasia.  DAS was a hard sell, even here; euthanasia never would have gotten off the ground.