Vermont TV station WCAX has been running a series on assisted suicide, using the usual euphemisms of “The Right to Die” and “The End of Life Bill”. In addition to using the euphemisms, the series completely overlooks the obvious fact that the suicide, presumably unaided, of a prominent proponent of the bill in Vermont, now being touted by his family to further the cause of legalization, and reported on in the series, actually proves that legalization is completely unnecessary.
Still, the series contains some valuable information. Part two makes it clear that the votes are not there to pass this in the Senate. Part three makes a very good case against legalization, on the grounds of the well-documented phenomenon of suicide contagion. Here’s a link to it: http://www.wcax.com/story/16673615/concerns-the-right-to-die-could-fuel-vt-teen-suicides
The statistics in Oregon, as reported by the state’s Department of Public Health, are certainly consistent with suicide contagion. Here are two links:
http://www.ktvz.com/news/24945319/detail.html.
Here’s a link to an article about suicide contagion, which is not limited to any age group:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00031539.htm).