“Aid in Dying has been a euphemism for physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia since at least 1992," said Dore. “Per the American Medical Association, ‘physician-assisted suicide’ occurs when a doctor facilitates a patient’s death by providing the means or information to enable a patient to perform the life-ending act. ‘Euthanasia’ is the administration of a lethal agent by another person.”
Dore added, “The proposed Act is based on similar acts in Oregon and Washington State. All three acts apply to persons with a six month or less life expectancy. Such persons may in fact have years or decades to live. A well known example is Jeanette Hall. In 2000, she made a settled decision to use Oregon’s Act. Her doctor convinced her to be treated for cancer instead, such that she is alive today, twenty-two years later.”
“I am a guardianship and elder law attorney, licensed to practice in Washington State,” said Dore. "In that capacity, I have seen the terrible things that people do to each other for money, especially in the inheritance context. Per the Delaware Department of Justice, this same or similar issue is already a problem in Delaware. Allowing legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia will only make a bad situation worse.”
Dore explained, “The proposed Act has a formal application process to obtain the lethal dose. Once the lethal dose is issued by the pharmacy, there is no oversight. No witness, not even a doctor, is required to be present at the death.”
Dore elaborated, “The drugs used are water or alcohol soluble. This is significant because the drugs can be injected into a sleeping or restrained person without consent. Even if the patient struggled, who would know?”
“More to the point,” said Dore, “the Act allows two people to be present. One leaves alive and the other leaves dead. What happened?”
Dore said, “Getting back to the inheritance issue, current Delaware law prevents a person who kills another person, i.e., commits homicide, from inheriting from the person that he or she killed. The rationale is that a criminal should not be allowed to benefit from his or her crime.”
Dore added, “Per the proposed Act, however, a person who intentionally kills another person will be allowed to inherit. This is because deaths occurring pursuant to the Act will be treated as natural, as if the person had died from natural causes as opposed to a lethal dose."
“More to the point,” said Dore, “in the event of the Act’s passage, Delaware residents with money, meaning the middle class and above, will be rendered sitting ducks to their heirs and other financial predators. Passage of the Act will create a perfect crime.”