Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide - Who Wants It? :: Euthanasia Physician Assisted Suicide

Euthanasia - Who Wants It?      Ã‚  Ã‚   In Los Angeles, former respiratory therapist Efren Saldivar was charged with six counts of murder in January for allegedly giving lethal injections to patients at Glendale Adventist Medical Center in 1996 and 1997. Saldivar has reportedly called himself an "angel of death" and confessed in 1998 to hastening "anywhere from 100 to 200" deaths, but later retracted the confession. He is also the plaintiff in several civil suits for wrongful death, though some of these have been dismissed for lack of evidence. A hearing in his criminal trial is scheduled for the end of March [Los Angeles Times, 3/10/01, 1/13/01, 1/11/01].    In Springfield, Massachusetts, jury deliberations began February 23 in what has been called one of the most sensational murder cases in western Massachusetts history. Kristen H. Gilbert, a 33-year-old nurse, is accused of killing four patients at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Northampton and trying to kill three others in 1995 and 1996, using unauthorized injections of adrenaline [Springfield Union-News, 2/25].    Cases of involuntary euthanasia keep making headlines, but who wants it?    Certainly not the elderly and terminally ill. Numerous studies have established that the Americans most directly affected by the issue of physician-assisted suicide -- those who are frail, elderly and suffering from terminal illness -- are also more opposed to legalizing the practice than others are:    * A poll conducted for the Washington Post on March 22-26, 1996, found 50% support for legalizing physician-assisted suicide (Washington A18) Voters aged 35-44 supported legalization, 57% to 33%. But these figures reversed for voters aged 65 and older, who opposed legalization 54% to 38%. Majority opposition was also found among those with incomes under $15,000 (54%), and black Americans (70%).    * An August 1993 Roper poll funded by the Hemlock Society and other euthanasia supporters indicated that voters aged 18-29 supported "physician-aided suicide" 47% to 35%; voters aged 60 and older opposed it 45% to 35%. Hemlock's newsletter commented that "the younger the person, the more likely he or she is to favor this legislation." The newsletter added that "this is somewhat at odds with how Hemlock views its membership," since it sees itself as defending the interests of elderly citizens. (Humphry; Poll 9) A study of cancer patients found that terminally ill patients experiencing significant pain are more opposed to physician-assisted suicide than other terminally ill patients or the general public.