EUTHANASIA NOTES

July 17 (LSN) 1. The pro-euthanasia group, The Hemlock Society, has said that the next battle for legalizing assisted suicide will be Michigan, Jack Kevorkian’s home state. Currently, Oregon is the only state where it is legal for doctors to kill ill or troubled patients at their request. Pro-life forces continue trying to overturn the legislation. Michigan has passed a law banning assisted suicide which comes into effect on September 1, but euthanasia advocates have submitted petitions to have the issue placed on a ballot initiative for the fall. If they collected the minimum number of signatures (they are being counted now) to have the issue placed on the ballot, Michigan pro-lifers will have their work cut out for them over the next few months.  2. Meanwhile Congress continues to work on federal legislation to criminalize assisted suicide before this year’s session ends. A bill has been introduced in both the House and the Senate.  3. A report out of Britain says that British physicians are split on the issue of assisted suicide. A conference is being planned within a year to discuss the issue. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are currently illegal in Britain and the British Medical Association opposes changes to the law.  Nevertheless, Michael Wilks, chairman of the BMA’s Medical Ethics Committee told the (London) Daily Telegraph that holding a conference to discuss the issue will help combat allegations from advocates of assisted suicide that they are refusing to discuss the issue.