Suicide vote hits Michigan
This fall, voters in Michigan will decide whether they want the option of physician-assisted suicide. In late May, a grassroots organization, Merian's Friends, delivered 379,813 signatures to state officials, which is more than the required number to put the issue on the November ballot. The group is named for one of Jack Kervorkian's early patients.
The Michigan proposal is similar to the Oregon law. Patients who want to die must be terminally ill with only a few months to live. They also must be declared mentally competent and have their case reviewed by three physicians.
If the measure passes, Michigan will become the second state in the nation to legalize assisted suicide. Medical Ethics Advisor will keep readers updated on events regarding the vote. n
· The 12th World Congress on Medical Law. Aug. 2-6, 1998. Siofok, Hungary. Sponsored by World Association for Medical Law. Co-sponsored by World Health Association, Council for International Organization of Medical Sciences, and International Council of Nurses. Contact: Organizing Secretariat, World Congress on Medical Law, MOTESZ Congress Bureau, H-1051, Budapest, Nador u. 36. Hungary. Phone: (361) 111-6687. Fax: (361) 183-7918.
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