Colorado has made it legal to help terminally ill patients to end their life. The citizens of Colorado have approved and accepted "End of Life Options Act."
Colorado joins Oregon, Washington, California, Vermont, and Montana, who have taken the so-called "right-to-die law." Oregon was the first state to approve Measure 16 in 1994, and now it's Colorado.
As of Oct. 31 supporters received 5.7 million USD and non-supporters received 2.7 million USD. Around 70 percent of voters favored the Act.
Supporters say this it respects patient's autonomy by allowing them to take their life's decision; this could relieve physical pain that worsens. However, there are opponents argue on religious grounds who believe assisted suicide would lead to a "slippery slope" situation where people might use this option too quick.
As the law is similar to Oregon's 20-year-old law, it will not work as the proponents claim it to be. People in Oregon, who receive lethal prescriptions do not undergo life-saving treatment and label them as "terminally ill" providing them assistance in suicide. The same can happen in the newly adopted law in Colorado.
For instance, assuming people with HIV or Hepatitis could die in six months without treatment, legalization of assisted suicide has led them not to undergo treatment. Although, there are chances of living much longer with treatment. According to The Denver Post, in opposing the law agreed that "...Proposition 106 would entice insurers to drop expensive treatments for terminal patients even when medical advances might add months or years more to a life that a patient may wish to take."
Plenty of times assisted suicide is considered as a cheaper option over the costly medical treatments in case of deadly diseases and disorders. The law relies on doctors to self-report but, there is no penalty on doctors if they do not report statistics and complications, Life News reported.
