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Hundreds Of Terminally Ill Californians Are Using The State’s End Of Life Act

  •  Sammy Caiola 
Friday, June 22, 2018 | Sacramento, CA
Alex E. Proimos / Flickr
 

Alex E. Proimos / Flickr

Nearly 600 terminally ill Californians received drugs under the state's aid-in-dying law in 2017, according to data released Friday by the California Department of Public Health.

Since June 2016, California's End of Life Option Act has allowed certain terminally ill patients to request lethal medication. Of the 632 Californians who requested the drugs in 2017:

  • 577 received a prescription
  • 363 took the medication and died
  • 86 died without taking the drugs

The state doesn't know what happened to the rest of the recipients.

The law has been on shaky ground since a Riverside County judge tossed it this spring, citing concerns that it was passed unconstitutionally during a special session. A state appeals court has temporarily reinstated the law.


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    California's Right-To-Die Law Still Has Some Kinks, Hearing Finds

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    The End of Life Option Act made it legal for terminally ill patients to take lethal medication. But some families say red tape and poor provider training keeps patients from actually exercising the right to die.
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 right to die

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

Sammy Caiola

Former Healthcare Reporter

Sammy Caiola has been covering medical breakthroughs, fitness fads and health policy in California since 2014. Before joining CapRadio, Sammy was a health reporter at The Sacramento Bee.  Read Full Bio 

 @sammycaiola Email Sammy Caiola

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