Oregon reports drop in doctor-aided suicide: Low numbers unlikely to defuse issue
Thirty-seven Oregonians died by doctor-assisted suicide last year, a slight decrease from 42 the year before, according to a state report. During the seven-year history of Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act, assisted suicide has accounted for 208 deaths—roughly one in 1,000 deaths in the state.
In 2004, 40 doctors wrote a total of 60 prescriptions for lethal doses of barbiturates. The prescription total fell from 68 the year before—the first decrease in prescriptions since doctor-assisted suicide became legal in Oregon.