State-by-State Physician-Assisted Suicide Statistics - Euthanasia

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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