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Polls Show Once Public Understands the Issue Doctor-Assisted Suicide Fails

SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 17, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - According to CBS, "Public support for physician-assisted suicide is now at the lowest point since the CBS News/New York Times Poll began asking the question in 1990. Prior to this poll, more than half of the public had said physician-assisted suicide should be allowed."

Californians Against Assisted Suicide has produced a statistical analysis demonstrating the trend.

California's Proposition 161, an initiative in 1992 to legalize doctor-assisted suicide originally polled Yes 74 percent, No 24 percent and 2 percent undecided. The measure was sponsored by the Hemlock Society (now Compassion & Choices).  On Election Day, November 3, 1992, the proposition garnered a result substantially different from previous poll figures and failed by 8 points. The "No on 161" side garnered 54 percent of the vote while the pro-assisted suicide advocates received only 46 percent.

Again in 1999, when euthanasia/assisted suicide advocates pushed legislation to legalize the practice in California, initial polling suggested that 75 percent of Californians supported assisted suicide, 20 percent opposed and 5 percent were undecided. (Field Poll, 1999) The author of that bill declined to bring it to a vote of the Legislature.

In November 2004, CBS asked the question, "If a person has a disease that will ultimately destroy their mind or body and they want to take their own life, should a doctor be allowed to assist the person in taking their own life, or not?" Results showed only 46 percent answering "Yes," 45 percent answering "No" and 9 answering "Undecided." (CBS poll was a nationwide sample of 885 adults)

Gallup in May 2005, found 49 percent found doctor-assisted suicide "acceptable" and 42 percent found it "wrong". (Telephone interviews with 1,005 national adults, aged 18 and older)

Pew Research in August 2005, found only 44 percent of people "Favor making it legal for doctors to Assist in suicide."  (Nationwide sample of 1,502 adults, 18 years of age or older)

Fairbank, Maslin and Maullin, in February 2006, found 64 percent of California Latinos oppose doctor assisted suicide and only 29 percent support it. (Telephone survey of 325 Latinos in the State of California)

For more information visit: http://www.ca-aas.com

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