Showing posts with label Suicide contagion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suicide contagion. Show all posts

Sunday, June 18, 2017

In Oregon, Other Suicides Have Increased with Legalization of Assisted Suicide

Oregon Coast
By Margaret Dore, Esq., MBA

I.  INTRODUCTION

The initiated measure seeks to legalize physician-assisted suicide in South Dakota. The measure is based on a similar law in Oregon, which was enacted in 1997.[1] Since then, there has been a significant increase in other (conventional) suicides in Oregon. This is consistent with a suicide contagion in which the legalization and promotion of assisted suicide has led to an increase in other suicides. A government report from Oregon states:
The cost of [conventional] suicide is enormous. In 201[2] alone, self-inflicted injury hospitalization charges... exceeded $54 million; and the estimate of total lifetime cost of suicide in Oregon was over $677 million.[2]