Derek Humphry and Mary Clement

In the following viewpoint, excerpted from their book Freedom to Die: People, Politics, and the Right-to-Die Movement, Derek Humphry and Mary Clement argue that current prohibitions on physician- assisted suicide (PAS) force many doctors to break the law in order to help their terminally ill patients to die. Much of the opposition to legalizing PAS, say the authors, comes from organized medicine, particularly the American Medical Association. The authors believe the AMA’s position is grounded in a misguided interpretation of the Hippocratic Oath, which they contend is outdated. Derek Humphry is the founder of both the Hemlock Society and the Euthanasia Guidance and Research Organization, and Mary Clement is president of Gentle Closure, Inc., an organization that assists people in addressing end-of-life concerns. For more information, visit www...