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In the Matter of Quinlan

Do States That Allow Assisted Suicide Find An Increase In Intentional Suicide Rates?



Oregon is the first, and the only, state in which physician-assisted suicides are legal. Oregon has seen a modest increase in the number of intentional suicides since physician-assisted suicides was approved by a 51% majority in 1994. In November of 1997, voters overwhelming rejected a ballot measure that would have repealed the law. The law requires that a physician wait 15-days before assisting a suicide.



  • There were 525 suicides in Oregon in 1994.
  • There were 526 suicides in Oregon in 1995.
  • There were 533 suicides in Oregon in 1996.

Additional topics

Law Library - American Law and Legal InformationNotable Trials and Court Cases - 1973 to 1980In the Matter of Quinlan - Significance, Accepted Standards Vs. Right To Die, Decision Is Appealed, Do States That Allow Assisted Suicide Find An Increase In Intentional Suicide Rates?