Death vacations grow in popularity as states loosen assisted suicide laws

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Posted on 09/22/2024 7:51:31 AM PDT by DFG

With increased euthanasia legislation across the U.S., as well as the weakening of residency requirements for some of these states, a new form of "medical" tourism is on the rise: traveling to die.

In May 2023, Vermont lifted its residency requirement for assisted suicide, which resulted in nonresidents flocking to the state to end their lives. Non-residents comprised almost 25% of all assisted suicide cases in Vermont according to data collected between May 2023 and June 2024. Meanwhile, in November 2023, the Vermont Department of Health found that the number of people with terminal illnesses taking advantage of hospice care has begun to decline.

In July 2023, the first state to legalize assisted suicide – Oregon – became the second state behind Vermont to remove its residency requirements, opening the doors for nonresidents seeking euthanasia to take advantage of their laws. As Live Action News has reported, in Oregon at least 23 people are known to have traveled there specifically for assisted suicide – with Brittany Maynard being the most notorious example. But the number of out-of-state residents who traveled for assisted suicide is likely higher, as Oregon does not collect residency status as part of the application process. In 2024, the state of Oregon reported a troubling 21% increase in overall assisted suicide cases.

The year 2024 saw an increase in assisted suicide legislation as well, with 19 states bringing the topic to the legislative floor. Of those states, only Delaware's legislation passed both chambers; the bill is currently on the governor's desk awaiting a signature, with no indication of what he plans to do. Assisted suicide is currently legal in 10 U.S. states: Oregon, Maine, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Washington, Hawaii, New Jersey, Washington, D.C. and Vermont.

(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...

1 posted on 09/22/2024 7:51:31 AM PDT by DFG

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