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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Beach bacteria thresholds may tighten ... Our View: Who politicized the UCC shootings? Not Obama ... View from 100,000 feet ... Beach bacteria thresholds may tighten ... Our View: Who politicized the UCC shootings? Not Obama ... View from 100,000 feet ... OTHER VIEWS Other Views: Misinformation industry turns law into something it's not Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Sep. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The Daily Astorian Oregon's physician-assisted suicide law continues to be an object of misinformation. Oregon's self-image is about an iconoclastic, pioneering spirit. Oregon enacted a bottle bill in 1971. Nine states have imitated it. Oregon voters agreed to death with dignity legislation — physician-assisted suicide — in 1994. Two states — Washington state and Vermont — have followed Oregon's lead. Every time another state, such as Massachusetts, puts this proposal on the ballot, eyes turn once again to Oregon. Not surprisingly, there is a misinformation industry that aims to turn Oregon's law into something it's not. The latest contribution to relitigating Oregon's law was Dr. William L. Toffler's article on the opinion page of The Wall Street Journal. Toffler is an Oregon physician and professor of family medicine at Oregon Health and Science University. Dr. Toffler is accurate in saying that Oregon voters narrowly approved physician-assisted suicide. The ballot initiative won 51 percent of the vote. But he failed to tell WSJ readers that when The Oregonian and the Catholic Conference of Bishops promoted the law's repeal in 1997, the "no" vote was 59 percent. In other words, the law had gained credibility with time. Dr. Toffler's basic mischaracterization of the experience in Oregon is that "there has been a profound shift in attitude toward medical care — new fear and secrecy, and a fixation on death." While it is true that nationally there is more candor about issues of death and dying — as the Baby Boom demographic moves into its seventh decade — there is no broad trend of discussion in Oregon. The number of Oregonians who have used physician-assisted suicide is relatively small. And that was always the expectation. It is not forced on anyone. On the contrary, a patient must ask to use it. And the patient must take the barbiturates on their own. The reality is that many Oregon physicians choose not to take part in the practice. That often makes it difficult for a patient, especially in a rural area, to obtain the barbiturates the law designates. Some five years ago this newspaper described the wrenching experience that Rod Gramson of Astoria had in helping his partner use physician-assisted suicide. The initiative's opponents in 1994 based their case on religion and morality. What the opponents misread was a basic motivation for the death with dignity movement — widespread mistrust of the medical profession on end-of-life choices. It is no secret that some physicians are not good at pain and symptom control. An excellent outcome of the law, which Dr. Toffler does not mention, is that hospice and palliative care have gained increased visibility and emphasis in Oregon. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501