• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • BOSTON BETTER BEER BUREAU
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • ADVERTISE
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Greater Boston's Alternative News Source

MASS ADVANCES BILL THAT WOULD GIVE PEOPLE MORE OPTIONS FOR DYING

Written by LAURA ROSBROW-TELEM Posted June 9, 2020 Filed Under: News, News to Us, NEWS+OPINIONS

dying in Massachusetts

“To have to die with suffering is something that most people don’t want to do. Over 70% of the people in Massachusetts are in favor of medical aid in dying.”


The Massachusetts Legislature may soon vote on the End-of-Life Options Act. The Joint Committee on Public Health recently approved the bill, the first time it was voted favorably out of committee since it first was introduced in 2011.

The act is limited to mentally capable, terminally ill people expected to die within six months. It would give them the option to get medication that would allow them to pass away in their sleep.

Dr. Roger Kligler is a retired physician in Falmouth with incurable prostate cancer, and a long-time advocate for medical aid in dying.

“To have to die with suffering is something that most people don’t want to do,” Kligler said. “Over 70% of the people in Massachusetts are in favor of medical aid in dying.”

Kligler is referencing the most recent poll about the issue, from 2013. He said the biggest obstacle to the bill passing is opposition from some religious groups. Nine states and the District of Columbia allow medical aid in dying.

Compassion and Choices is a nonprofit working to expand health care options for the end of life. Its Massachusetts campaign manager, Brian Monteiro, said the bill started becoming viable after one big group changed its position.

“I have to give credit to the Medical Society. When they took a neutral stance, that really got the ball rolling here,” Monteiro said. “That was huge. I can’t put that into words.”

The Massachusetts Medical Society, the state chapter of the American Medical Association, went from opposing the bill to being neutral. They testified at a hearing about the bill last June, explaining their stance on medical aid in dying.

Kligler described how the state AMA got to this point.

“They came to an agreement that there are two groups of ethical people who feel differently,” Kligler said. “They’re never going to agree with each other. But the AMA shouldn’t be opposed to medical aid in dying anymore.”

In other words, some doctors felt that it was ethical to allow terminally ill people who face tremendous suffering the ability to alleviate their pain in dying. Others thought that giving patients this option inflicted harm and was unethical.

According to a 2017 internal survey of Massachusetts Medical Society members, about two-thirds of doctors supported the End-of-Life Options Act. The bill hasn’t yet been scheduled for a vote.

LAURA ROSBROW-TELEM
+ posts

Laura is a national producer for Public News Service. Before that, she was the news director at WRFI in Ithaca, NY, and prior to that worked as a print journalist in Israel. She has covered basically everything: technology, local government, health, social issues, peace and justice, cultural topics, etc. Her pieces have been published in the Atlantic, Business Insider, NPR News, NPR member station WSKG, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Next Web, the Jerusalem Post, Mic (formerly known as PolicyMic), the Times of Israel, Geektime, AlterNet, the Oakland Tribune, Walla! News, and the Jewish Exponent.

    This author does not have any more posts.

Filed Under: News, News to Us, NEWS+OPINIONS Tagged With: news, news to us

WHAT’S NEW

Mass Higher Ed Advocates Urge More Investment In Students 

Mass Higher Ed Advocates Urge More Investment In Students 

Guest Opinion: Promoting Metal Detectors In BPS Perpetuates Dangerous Narrative

Guest Opinion: Promoting Metal Detectors In BPS Perpetuates Dangerous Narrative

State Wire: Mass Leads Nation In 'Green' Building Development

State Wire: Mass Leads Nation In ‘Green’ Building Development

State Wire: Mass Advocates Of Higher Ed Set Goals For Fair Share Revenue

State Wire: Mass Advocates Of Higher Ed Set Goals For Fair Share Revenue

Does Massachusetts Underestimate Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

Does Massachusetts Underestimate Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

State Wire: The Legacy Of MLK’s Dream Of Economic Justice In Mass

State Wire: The Legacy Of MLK’s Dream Of Economic Justice In Mass

Primary Sidebar

LOCAL EVENTS

AAN Wire


Most Popular

  • 20 Great Tracks To Come Out Of Greater Boston In 2022
  • Think Massachusetts Cannabis Prices Are Low Now? Just Wait Six Months!
  • Why Are Cannabis Prices Really Crashing?
  • A New Beginning For Formerly Incarcerated Women
  • Jerrod Carmichael Has First Show After Coming Out—At the Wilbur In Boston

Footer

Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Advertise

Customer Service

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an email blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: sales@digboston.com To reach editorial (and for inquiries about internship opportunities): editorial@digboston.com