August 20, 2008--The California Senate passed the Terminal Patients' Right to Know End-of-Life Options Act, AB 2747 (Berg-Levine).  Now, when terminally-ill patients ask about options at the end of life, their physicians must either offer a comprehensive, accurate discussion of all legal end-of-life care options or refer the patient to someone who will. "This bill serves as a national model for patients to receive the necessary information and power to influence the manner of death," said Barbara Coombs Lee, president of Compassion and Choices, the sponsor of the measure.  The act now goes to the governor's desk for signature. To read more details, please go to our National site.

June 8, 2008--The San Francisco Chronicle Magazine published an article entitled "Hastening the End: In the face of painful, debilitating illness, some people turn to end-of-life consultants as they plan for death." The article, written by Katherine Seligman, features Compassion and Choices. For more information, please see the article on SF Gate

March 18, 2008--The 10th annual report confirms the safety and effectiveness of Oregon's landmark Death with Dignity Act. Death with Dignity’s many strict safeguards ensure the law does not unfairly target the poor, disabled or minority populations. Everyone who used the law in 2007 was mentally competent and within six months of death. More Oregon terminally ill patients chose to use the state’s Death with Dignity Act this year than ever before, according to a report released today by the Oregon Department of Human Services. As in all previous years, many more people requested the lethal medication than used the prescriptions. Of the 85 patients who requested and received life-ending medications in 2007, only 46 actually administered the medication to achieve a peaceful death. An additional three took medications prescribed prior to 2007. This is equivalent to 15.6 deaths from aid in dying per every 10,000 total deaths in Oregon. Since it was passed in 1997, 341 people have used the Death with Dignity law to end their lives. A decade of data, along with studies by the State of Oregon and independent researchers, show that the law has greatly improved end-of-life care for all Oregonians. “The reports each year have found that all dying patients in the state of Oregon have benefited from the improved care of physicians and health care providers as measured by clinical standards, the experience of hospice nurses, increased use of medical morphine, increased referrals to hospice and the second-lowest rates of in-hospital deaths and the second-highest rates of home deaths in the nation,” said Compassion & Choices President Barbara Coombs Lee. “None of opponents’ predicted problems have come true. To the contrary, Oregon is ranked second in the nation in quality care at the end-of-life. We urge other states to adopt similar laws.” Read the report.