A Compassionate Choice? Arizona’s Proposed Death with Dignity Law

I watched the HBO documentary Alternate Endings: Six New Ways to Die in America a few years ago. The thoughtful piece explored our changing attitudes about dying, death, and burial in our society.

The filmmakers followed six people who were approaching the end of their lives. One story has stayed with me years later: the story of Dick Shannon.

Dick Shannon had lived his life as an engineer in Silicon Valley. When he exhausted all treatment options for his terminal cancer, Shannon made a decision: to use the "medical aid in dying" or MAID option to die on his terms.

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MAID is a legal procedure in California that allowed Dick to take a carefully crafted drug cocktail to end his life. In his final six months, he gathered his family and close friends for a final goodbye. He passed peacefully on his own terms, at the age of 76.

Assisted Suicide in Arizona

I used to be squeamish when it came to the subject of death and dying. When my beloved dog fell ill a few years ago, my family faced the painful decision to end his suffering.

It was the most difficult choice we've ever made, but there's never been a doubt in my mind: it was the most compassionate ending we could have given him, and we were with him the entire time.

Applying this compassion to humans is complicated, but it's a conversation that is well overdue. Ten states, including Oregon, California, New Mexico, and the District of Columbia, have all passed MAID laws.

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Arizona: End-of-Life Decisions Act

This is not considered assisted suicide. The language is very clear: this is "death with dignity" or "medical aid in dying," and the rules are specific to ensure it's not misused.

Arizona has proposed legislation to give rights to terminally ill patients to choose a peaceful passing rather than continued suffering.

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Officially called the "End-of-Life Decisions Act," if passed, Arizona's HB2243 would allow terminally ill patients to request life-ending medication, similar to laws in other states like Oregon and New Mexico.

Essential Safeguards for Arizona's End-of-Life Decisions Act

The proposed bill includes safeguards to prevent misuse. Patients will be required to meet specific criteria.

Patients must:

• Be an Arizona resident
• Be 18 or older
• Be able to demonstrate they are mentally competent
• Be able to demonstrate they're acting voluntarily
• Have been diagnosed with a terminal illness that is expected to result in death within 6 months

The patients will have to make both verbal and written requests. They must be medically evaluated by a physician who must confirm the patient understands all the options, including palliative care.

Finally, the law will prohibit anyone but the patient from administering the medication. The patient must ingest it themselves.

This is a heavy choice and not a decision anyone would make lightly. The carefully crafted bill could bring peace to suffering and restore dignity to the dying in Arizona.

Sources: NFDA.org| AZ End of Life Options | IMDB-Alternate Endings: Six New Ways to Die