Last updated on: 1/28/2019 | Author: ProCon.org

State-by-State Physician-Assisted Suicide Statistics

As of Jan. 28, 2019, seven US states have legal physician-assisted suicide, six via legislation and one via court ruling. Five states–California, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington–have issued reports on the states’ PAS programs. Each state tracks and reports results very differently, making comparisons difficult.

While DC, Hawaii, and Montana also have legal physician-assisted suicide, they have not yet issued reports. And, Montana does not have a reporting framework in place because the state became legal via a court ruling rather than legislation.
(click state name
for more information)		 Totals California Colorado Oregon Vermont Washington
years of reports   2016-2017 2017 1998-2017 2013-2017 2009-2017
prescriptions for PAS drugs written    
# 4,249 768 69 1,964 52 1,396
% of prescriptions used 66.3% 63.2% 65.6%* 64.0% 55.8% 71.5%
deaths            
from PAS drugs 2,814 485 45* 1,257 29 998
PAS drug deaths yearly average 548.7 323.3 45* 62.9 6.6 110.9
total PAS program deaths** 3,703 592 56 1,719 52 1,284
% who had cancer  
% 63.1% 54.2% 78.6% 56.3% 82.7% 76.7%
sex            
female % 49.3% 52.4% 46.4% 47.6% n/a 49.9%
male % 50.7% 47.6% 53.6% 52.3% n/a 50.1%
race            
white % 94.2% 89.1% 96.4% 96.1% n/a 72.5%
other % 5.8% 10.9% 3.6% 3.9% n/a 27.5%
college-educated patients    
% 47.7% 55.3% 39.3% 46.2% n/a 46.6%
             

*Because Colorado does not separate deaths from PAS drugs from other deaths, the % of prescriptions used number has been calculated from an average of the other states, and the number of PAS drug deaths calculated from that average and the number of PAS prescriptions written.
**The number of PAS program deaths includes people who took the PAS drug(s) and died as a result; people who obtained prescriptions but died from their diseases; and people who took the PAS drug(s) but ultimately died of their disease rather than the drug.
 
State Reports by Year
California 2017, 2016
Colorado 2017
Oregon 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998
Vermont 2013-2017
Washington 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009
 
 

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