TERMINALLY ILL SAY DECISION PUTS SUICIDE PLANS BACK ON TRACK

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- For months, Penny Schlueter has lived with the pain
of ovarian cancer but was reluctant to use Oregon's landmark
assisted-suicide law for fear her doctor would be prosecuted.

With Friday's federal decision to back off doctors who prescribe lethal
drugs, Schlueter said she will now start making plans to end her life
without worrying about destroying her doctor's career.

"That would be a terrible price to pay for helping a patient," the
56-year-old retired economics teacher said from her home in Springfield.

The long wait for the Justice Department opinion hasn't stopped the law
from being used, if only sparingly. Only three terminally ill Oregonians --
including a cancer-stricken grandmother in her 80s -- are known to have
killed themselves with lethal prescriptions since the law was affirmed by
voters last November.

There will no doubt be more cases now that the last threat of federal
sanctions has lifted, said a Salem cancer doctor who recently helped a
terminally ill patient commit suicide.

"I know that many doctors have been hesitant to participate because they
were worried about losing their license," said Dr. Peter Rasmussen. "So I
wouldn't be surprised if there's more interest expressed by patients and
physicians."

Doctors' reports are confidential under the assisted-suicide law, and the
state Health Division has said it does not plan to divulge any information
until it has received reports of at least 10 assisted deaths.

A spokesman for the state's largest organization of doctors, the Oregon
Medical Association, also predicted Friday that the number of such suicides
is likely to rise.

"It's logical to conclude that there are more physicians in the state today
who now will be willing to consider participating in assisted suicides,"
OMA spokesman Jim Kronenberg said.

Not all terminally ill patients see that as a welcome development.

Janice Elsner, who suffers from rapidly progressing muscular dystrophy,
said Oregon is "promoting death" with assisted suicide and sending a
dangerous message to young people in this era of school shootings.

"How can we say that anybody with a white coat on can kill anybody they
want to, but we expect kids to abstain from violence?" the Portland woman
said.

The leader of Western Oregon's 283,000 Roman Catholics called Reno's
decision a sad day for Oregon.

"In my judgment, the Justice Department is abdicating its responsibility to
protect vulnerable people from deadly harm," said Archbishop John Vlazny,
who has called assisted suicide an immoral law that targets the disabled
and people with clinical depression.

But a West Linn woman who suffers from an inoperable brain tumor said
Friday's announcement by Reno provides great comfort to many terminally ill
people around Oregon.

Barbara Oskamp, 66, an outspoken supporter of assisted suicide, said she 's
not sure if she will ever avail herself to the law.

"I have no way of knowing what my last days will be like," Oskamp said.
"But just having the choice brings me a lot of relief."

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)