The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Fred Scheller column

June 04--As the lawmakers in the state of New York contemplate the possibility of allowing physician-assisted suicide, or PAS, there has been a lot of discussion about the morality of letting people take their own lives.

I have always had a strong opinion on this subject, but frequently decided against writing an opinion piece. I mostly try to keep this column on the lighter side. However, I was motivated by a "Sound Off" that appeared on our opinion page last month.

I was moved by the writer's description of their father's passing. How they sat by his bedside, day and night, while he suffered in pain with no positive outcome. They went on to explain how they saw their father cry for the only time in 47 years and how his eyes begged for help. They described their pain from the experience of watching a loved one suffer. They continue to have sleepless nights and dream about it, several months later.

Personally, I can't imagine there is anyone who would want to have his or her life end this way and have family members go through weeks or months of such a horrible ordeal. But there are people and organizations who oppose PAS and do not want this law to pass.

The bill is the "Medical Aid in Dying Act" and is modeled after Oregon's bill that has been in place since 1994. The bill would allow terminally ill patients who have six months or fewer to live to take prescribed drugs that would end their lives. Before receiving the prescription they must be approved by two doctors and confirmed by two independent witnesses. After picking up the medication at their pharmacy, the patients decide when they want to use the drugs.

Two-thirds of New Yorkers support allowing terminally ill people to stop their pain with life-ending medication.

Some opponents of the bill cite religious reasons, others say it normalizes suicide. Some have concerns for the disabled community and others worry insurance companies and caregivers would encourage the terminally ill to consider PAS instead of the more expensive long-term end-of-life care. There are doctors who believe it is against the "oath" they take to treat people and they do not want to help people die. Some believe the focus should be on expanding and improving methods that allow people to live out their lives comfortably.

Some form of "Death with Dignity" is allowed in seven states (including our neighbors in Vermont) and the District of Columbia. Canada also allows PAS. In all cases, you must be a resident to be prescribed the medication.

So, once a PAS law is passed, what is the outcome?

The year 2017 was Oregon's 20th year. Last year, physicians wrote 218 prescriptions resulting in 129 deaths from those prescriptions. In its ninth year, Washington wrote 212 prescriptions with 164 deaths. The outcome is hard to document since, when you leave the doctor's office, you are pretty much on your own. There is no timetable, the patient decides when to administer the drugs. And, you may decide not to use the drugs at all. Also, these statistics are for a calendar year and the individual may have decided to use the medication in the following year. In some instances, people pass before they choose to use the medication.

Ironically, though PAS is not permitted in New York, New Yorkers can refuse life-sustaining treatment. Janet Duprey, former Republican assemblywoman from Plattsburgh, is a supporter of the bill and tells the story of how her mother suffered a series of strokes and eventually requested her feeding tube be removed. "She did not want the feeding tube reinserted, she simply wanted to die," Duprey said. It took her 11 days to starve to death.

I believe people have the right to "Die with Dignity." I believe it is their choice and the business of nobody else. I do not want to be an imposition on my closest family members, creating mental anguish and bringing their lives to a complete standstill. It is not fair to them. And, I do not want my end to consist of months and months of pain, knowing there is only one outcome.

This is my opinion, and I believe, if I am ever in this situation, my opinion should be the only one that matters.

In the meantime, I'm going to do everything I can to enjoy this precious thing we call life.

Fred Scheller is the publisher of The Daily Star and The Cooperstown Crier.

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