Physician-Assisted Death May Become Reality in Georgia

A right-to-die group is introducing legislation in Georgia that would allow elderly and terminally ill patients to die with a doctor’s prescription. The advocacy group Compassion and Choices plans to introduce the “death with dignity” legislation in 2015. 

Georgia Right to Life (GRTL) Director of Bioethics Bethany Walker said that the legislation would not with the pro-life leanings of most residents. 

"Georgia is overwhelmingly pro-life. And that support includes protecting the elderly, disabled and terminally ill, as well as pre-born children,” Walker said. 

"Communicating to those that receive a negative diagnosis that dying with dignity means suicide forces a wrongful burden on the patient to seek suicide rather than healing or care while clearly going against the will of most Georgians.”

Most people that decide to go through with a physician-assisted death report that they do not wish to burden family members any longer.

While the physician-assisted death debate has been ongoing for many years, it recently gained international attention as terminally ill patient Brittany Maynard moved to Oregon to take advantage of the state’s death with dignity law. A proponent for Compassion and Choices, Maynard ended her life on Nov. 1. 

Publication date: December 11, 2014