Oregon has had an ongoing battle about euthanasia since 1994. Citizens in the state approved Ballot Measure 16 in the 1994 November elections that would have l

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that the average American does not have the right to physician-assisted suicide. The unanimous decision also covered that Washington’s and New York’s bans on euthanasia were constitutional. On the other hand, it did not rule whether or not it is legal for a state to have laws that allowed it, therefore letting Oregon off the hook for the time being (Matas 17). In October 1999, the House of Representatives passed the Pain Relief Promotion Act. It is a bill that would legally criminalize a physician if a pain medication dosage is above what is needed to relieve pain. The Senate rejected the bill, and it is in the process of being revised for a future vote (Ruggless-Ash). California also recently tried to legalize euthanasia, but the people of California voted against it (Johnson 33).

Attorney Janet Reno reversed Constantine’s ruling by mid-1998. She stated “that doctors who use the law to prescribe lethal drugs to terminally-ill patients will not be prosecuted… the drug laws were intended to block illegal trafficking in drugs and did not cover situations like the Oregon suicide law (Oregon 54). ” Attorney General John Ashcroft recently made an announcement that Oregon’s law on physician-assisted suicide is legally wrong according to federal laws. He said that the Oregon euthanasia law should be stopped immediately after November 6, 2001(NBC). He ruled in on the side of the Oregon Right to Life, but the government of Oregon has stated that they will appeal the policy in court. He has reverted back to Constantine’s ruling (NBC). In the meantime, doctors will be allowed to continue the euthanasia procedures under state law (Hagen).

The Death with Dignity law is based off Netherlands’ laws on euthanasia enforcement and regulations (Oregon 52). It is now the basis for many stateside proposals, such as California’s, on euthanasia (Johnson 33). It has several requirements, such as a waiting time period and oral requests made to two doctors. It is only available to terminally ill patients. A patient must fulfill all of the crit

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