Yesterday’s “safeguards”, which proponents use to get laws passed in the first place, become today’s obstacles. In January 2020, Oregon adjusted the safeguard requiring a 15-day waiting period between the formal request for lethal drugs and receiving the prescription. Starting in January 2022, California’s waiting period will be reduced from 15 days to a meager 48 hours. Waiving this period neglects patients. There is no time for a second opinion, no time to reconsider, to receive meaningful psychological evaluation or to verify the prognosis.
Reducing the waiting period creates the possibility for same day suicides. In Oregon, where the 15 day waiting period can be waived completely, some patients receive lethal drugs the same day they request them. Other states like California, Washington, and Hawaii are following suit. Suicide prevention is being traded for suicide assistance and same day suicides.
Read more: Assisted Suicide Proponent Files Lawsuit to Remove Residency Requirement in Oregon