Oregon Assisted-Suicide Deaths Facilitated by Assisted-Suicide Advocacy Organization

The Proportion of Oregon Assisted Suicides
by Compassion & Choices Organization

Kenneth R., Stevens, Jr., M.D., Vice-President PCCEF Oregon
March 4, 2010

Officers of the assisted-suicide-proponent organization, Compassion in Dying/Compassion & Choices of Oregon are authors of Oregon's physician-assisted suicide (PAS) law and self-proclaim they are the stewards of the PAS law.  They have reported that their organization has "participated in more than three/quarters of the state's cases of doctor-assisted suicide." (Don Colburn, "Pharmacy Board will review failed assisted suicide," Oregonian, March 10, 2005)

The extent of their involvement is shown in the following tabulation of the reported numbers of physician-assisted suicide deaths in Oregon for the past twelve years (1998-2009). 

The Compassion & Choices numbers for the 1998-2007 years are printed information distributed by George Eighmey, Executive Director of Compassion & Choices of Oregon at a public forum in Vancouver, Washington on 9/25/2008). 

The 53 C & C PAS deaths in 2008 were reported by George Eighmey to the Oregonian reporter, Don Colburn.  (Don Colburn, "60 people died under Oregon law in '08," Oregonian, 3/3/09) 

The 57 C & C PAS deaths in 2009 were reported to me by Sue Porter, a C & C officer, in her e-mail to me on 2/14/10.

The numbers of PAS deaths for the state for each year are from the published Oregon DHS  annual reports regarding Oregon's assisted suicides.

More about assisted suicide in Oregon