DOCTOR-AIDED SUICIDE IS BACKED IN POLL

An overwhelming majority of Americans support physician-assisted suicide for
the terminally ill and oppose legislation before Congress that would
prohibit doctors from prescribing lethal doses to patients who want to
hasten death, according to a new national opinion survey.

The survey showed that, by 69 percent to 28 percent, respondents backed the
right of terminally ill patients to receive help from physicians to end
life. Seventy-two percent said they oppose federal legislation that would
prohibit physicians from prescribing doses of medications, like
barbiturates, that terminally ill patients could request to end their lives.
Only 26 percent said they favored such legislation.

The survey comes as Congress is considering a Lethal Drug Abuse Prevention
Act that would allow the Drug Enforcement Administration to lift a doctor's
license to prescribe controlled substances if he or she prescribes suicide
doses of medications. The measure was introduced by Rep. Henry J. Hyde
(R-Ill.) and Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.) after a ruling in June by Attorney
General Janet Reno that the DEA does not have the authority to control
physicians' care of terminally ill patients if a state enacts an
assisted-suicide law. Hyde and Nickles are outspoken opponents of Oregon's
Death With Dignity Law, which took effect nine months ago following two
bitterly debated referendums and a long court battle.

So far, there have been only five reported cases of people who have ended
their lives under the Oregon law. It allows patients with six months or less
to live to receive prescriptions for lethal doses of medications after
making oral and written requests, obtaining consulting opinions by other
physicians, waiting 15 days and notifying state health authorities.

The opinion survey was conducted by an independent polling firm, GLS
Research of Los Angeles, for three groups that advocate assisted suicide. It
included 1,000 interviews conducted July 8 to 11, with a margin of error of
3.1 percent, GLS Research said. The results are scheduled to be released
today at a news conference to be held here by the Oregon-based Compassion in
Dying Federation and the Death With Dignity Legal Defense and Education
Center, as well as the Death With Dignity National Center, headquartered in
San Mateo, Calif.

Sixty-six percent of the respondents said they approve of Oregon's assisted
suicide law. The same percentage said they would favor a similar law in
their own state. Only 30 percent disapproved of the Oregon law and the
introduction of a similar law in their state.

Advocates and opponents of assisted death in other states have been watching
Oregon's experience with its law closely. Michigan is the only state where
petition signatures have been gathered for a November ballot initiative.

Barbara Coombs Lee, a nurse and lawyer who co-wrote the Oregon Death With
Dignity Law and is director of Compassion in Dying, said the survey shows "a
remarkable amount of support for laws like Oregon's and a growing awareness
for the need for greater choice at the end of life."

Coombs Lee said the poll data show surprisingly strong support for assisted
suicide across political, age, gender and geographic lines. For instance,
opposition to congressional action against physician-assisted suicide was 75
percent for Democrats, 78 percent for independents and 68 percent for
Republicans. Similarly, the levels of support for the practice differed
little between regions of the country.

Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett