Although assisting suicide is only legal for a small fraction of the world’s population, advocates are focused on promoting this dangerous legislation in New York. The NY Assembly Health Committee voted to move forward with the legislation yesterday.

A.10059 and the companion bill S.7579 have gotten traction under the false notion that assisted suicide will be providing terminally ill people with merely one more “option.” However, this is far from the truth. This deceptively titled “Medical Aid in Dying Act” is riddled with dangerous problems that seek to destroy existing protections for the vulnerable.

Most legislators have never considered legislation like this, and they need to know that New York does not want to destroy existing protection for those facing a difficult diagnosis.

It is urgent that you make contact with your Assemblymember now and urge them to oppose assisted suicide bills A10059/S7579.

AD 96 — Kenneth Zebrowski  518-455-5735, ZebrowskiK@assembly.state.ny.us
(Clarkstown & Haverstraw, part of Ramapo)

AD 97 — Ellen Jaffee  518-455-5118, JaffeeE@assembly.state.ny.us
(Orangetown, part of Ramapo)

AD 98 — Karl Brabenec  518-455-5991, brabeneck@assembly.state.ny.us
(Ramapo)

AD 99 — James Skoufis 518-455-5441, SkoufisJ@assembly.state.ny.us
(Stony Point)

The assisted suicide legislation’s language purports to establish “safeguards” around assisted suicide and restrict it to the terminally ill and the competent. However, these kinds of assisted suicide proposals are opposed by medical groups (including the Medical Society of the State of New York and the American Medical Association) and many in the disability rights community. Safeguards simply do not work:

• There is no protection for those seeking assisted suicide because they suffer from treatable depression or any other mental health issue
• Predictions that someone will die in six months are often wrong
• Abuse of elders and people with disabilities is a growing but often undetected problem
• If assisted suicide is legalized, it will quickly become the cheapest alternative to medical treatment
• There is no residency requirement: New York is already home to the abortion capital of the nation, it need not become a suicide destination as well