Illinois Becomes 12th State to Allow Medically Assisted Suicide for Terminally Ill Adults
The law makes such options available to patients determined by two physicians to have six months or less to live. Opponents say it ‘legitimizes suicide.’

Senate Bill 1950, known as the “End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act” or “Deb’s Law,” which will take effect by September 2026, was in part motivated by personal stories, including that of Deb Robertson, a retired social worker living with a rare terminal illness, who urged the law’s passing to ensure others could access end-of-life options without needing to travel out of state.

Pritzker underscored the impact of testimonies from Illinois residents living with terminal illnesses.

“Today, Illinois honors their strength and courage by enacting legislation that enables patients faced with debilitating terminal illnesses to make a decision, in consultation with a doctor, that helps them avoid unnecessary pain and suffering at the end of their lives,” Pritzker said in a statement. “This legislation will be thoughtfully implemented so that physicians can consult patients on making deeply personal decisions with authority, autonomy, and empathy.”
Proponents, including Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel and Senate Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes, called the law an extension of compassionate care and bodily autonomy.

Pritzker Signs Law Limiting Federal Immigration Enforcement in Illinois
“Both of my parents died of cancer,” Holmes said in a statement. “I’ll never forget the helpless feeling of watching them suffer when there was nothing I could do to help them. I believe every adult patient of sound mind should have this as one more option in their end-of-life care in the event their suffering becomes unbearable.”
To be eligible under the law, patients must be 18 or older, residents of Illinois, mentally competent, and diagnosed with a terminal illness expected to lead to death within six months, as confirmed by two physicians.
Patients must be informed of all end-of-life options, such as hospice and palliative care, and make multiple requests—two oral and one written, the last witnessed by two individuals attesting that the letter had not been written under duress.

If mental capacity is in question, patients are required to receive a referral to a mental health professional. Patients can withdraw their request at any time and must self-administer the medication.

No provider is mandated to offer self-assisted suicides, and organizations can prohibit staff involvement, while coercion or forgery is a felony.

The law has faced opposition from the Catholic Conference of Illinois, which criticized it as placing the state on a “heartbreaking path,” saying it undermines the sanctity of life and could pressure vulnerable individuals.
“When Gov. Pritzker signed the physician-assisted suicide bill into law, he put Illinois on a dangerous and heartbreaking path—one that legitimizes suicide as a valid solution for life’s challenges,” the organization said in a statement. “This law ignores the very real failures in access to quality care that drive vulnerable people to despair. It does nothing to ensure patients are offered services, protected from coercion, or surrounded by loved ones when they kill themselves.
Access Living, a disability rights organization that is also part of the Stop Assisted Suicide Illinois coalition, also opposed the law, voicing concerns that it could have “potentially grave consequences.”

https://www.theepochtimes.com/...2Frrsmmp0FUOflTnc%3D

I am really, really torn on this issue.
If you are really in self control of your body why shouldn’t you be able to. But also my religious beliefs tell me it’s wrong. What is the double check to make sure someone is really terminal. I don’t want some 18 year old perfectly healthy who has some temporary depression to be able to use this. But you dang well know there’s MD’s who will encourage it. If someone is weeks or months away from death via an incurable disease, maybe it’s still a personal and family choice. The slippery slope is when it becomes mainstream accepted and then a hospital says well you are terminal and you have ran out of money with us. Go spend the rest of your days in pain at home or choose to end it early. But not here costing us x $thousands per day.

quote:

Originally posted by ElToro:
I am really, really torn on this issue.
If you are really in self control of your body why shouldn’t you be able to. But also my religious beliefs tell me it’s wrong. What is the double check to make sure someone is really terminal. I don’t want some 18 year old perfectly healthy who has some temporary depression to be able to use this. But you dang well know there’s MD’s who will encourage it. If someone is weeks or months away from death via an incurable disease, maybe it’s still a personal and family choice. The slippery slope is when it becomes mainstream accepted and then a hospital says well you are terminal and you have ran out of money with us. Go spend the rest of your days in pain at home or choose to end it early. But not here costing us x $thousands per day.

I agree with ElToro on this. It's important to me that people be able to control their own life and decisions. I've seen enough folks die slowly from horrible diseases (and another friend who took his own life with a gun to avoid exactly that) that basic humanity almost demands they have this as an option. But I also hold human life to be sacred, and don't trust our corrupt systems (government, insurance, or medical) to not abuse this.


Based on the checks and balances built into this law it sounds like they are really trying hard to make sure that it doesn't get abused. I'm pretty impressed with the requirements outlined in it, actually. But I still think the system will find a way around it.

quote:

Originally posted by ElToro:
I don’t want some 18 year old perfectly healthy who has some temporary depression to be able to use this. But you dang well know there’s MD’s who will encourage it.

Your comment jogged my memory about this story.

It has already happened in The Netherlands. Pretty sad, honestly.

https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-45117163

I am also torn on the subject. I agree that there needs to be a humane option for those with terminal illnesses. But, I worry greatly about potential misuse.
Watched my 105 year old MIL and my 90 year old dad pass a couple of years ago from long standing medical issues. The last year or so for both was not an existence that I care to live.
In fact it was very hard to watch and I know both were miserable and hated what it was doing to their loved ones.

quote:

Illinois Becomes 12th State to Allow Medically Assisted Suicide for Terminally Ill Adults

NO. I don't agree with JB Pritzker on anything...

This has been widely touted in Canada and now it's pushed instead of treatment.

I believe in the sanctity of human life, from conception to natural death.

The Pritzker angle here is irrelevant.

No to it for two reasons - religious beliefs and the potential for abuse.

It's dangerous to allow the government to control anything and specially health issues.
Canada is a great case study. Currently over 5% of all deaths are medically assisted! This was supposed to have been available as a last resort to people with painful end of life conditions, but it has now grown to include depression, mental health issues and even poverty.
Remember Canada has universal health care, why are people checking out if the healthcare is available without additional costs? Because the government gets to choose what if any healthcare you are eligible to receive. They often just recommend medically assisted death to cut costs.
Our Veterans Affairs has started offering it to veterans suffering from PTSD!

https://www.canada.ca/en/healt...ance-dying-2024.html

Don’t make this about that jackass Pritzker, agreeing or disagreeing with him. He’s not doing something that hasn’t been debated on for decades, physician assisted euthanasia. And we even have a current thread on it.

Only if Pritzker will be the first to take advantage of it.

Pritzker get zero support from me on anything.

We all are in the midst of a terminal condition - it is called life. It may not be a 6 month condition, but it is absolute. In addition, there are some mental conditions (incurable, as of now) that cause as much suffering as physical conditions. Add to both of the above, the ability of one person's religious beliefs (or lack thereof) to dictate how another person is allowed to face his end of life has no logic.

I readily admit to my inability to resolve the issue for all mankind because I recognize the limited capacity of the human mind to understand the purpose of life and how we fit into the big picture, if there is a big picture, of the universe. I am stubborn enough to resist any other person dictating my choices based on his beliefs. That doesn't mean that I am right or he is wrong, but I am not sure right and wrong even apply. The very fact that we can legally take another man's life (in certain circumstances) without his approval, but deny him the same right to end his own life clouds the issue even further. Since I am over 80 years old, I just might face this issue in the near future, but my God (or maybe yours) could decide for me. I guess that would be the easiest way out of a personal conundrum.

It would seem to be a fundamental human right and not some privilege given to you by government.

quote:

Originally posted by bdylan:
It would seem to be a fundamental human right and not some privilege given to you by government.

That's not it. It is that the "medical assistant" is shielded from prosecution. It will definitely be abused, both by the medical community and the drama queens they will be enabling.

One of the main associated issues is that medical researchers no longer seem interested in developing cures for diseases and other malign health conditions. Instead they focus on alleviating symptoms, these treatments often incur side effects that have to be dealt with in the same manner. In a recent conversation with an MD I pointed out that there are two ways to lose a patient (and the associated revenue stream), you can kill them, or you can cure them. He wasn't amused. I don't see the availability of assisted suicide changing this in any way.

It used to be that a desire to end one's own life was considered a sign of mental illness. That way of thinking seems to have gone by the board.

The medical assistant could be a machine. Determining your own quality of life and choosing death over suffering wouldn't be a sign of mental illness. I guess I'm not understanding why we would insist on patients suffering until their bodies finally fail.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

Illinois Becomes 12th State to Allow Medically Assisted Suicide for Terminally Ill Adults

NO. I don't agree with JB Pritzker on anything...

Same here. Regardless of what the issue is, if Prickster is for it, I'm against it. He is an despicable POS.

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:

quote:

Originally posted by ElToro:
I don’t want some 18 year old perfectly healthy who has some temporary depression to be able to use this. But you dang well know there’s MD’s who will encourage it.

Your comment jogged my memory about this story.

It has already happened in The Netherlands. Pretty sad, honestly.

https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-45117163

In ANYTHING, there’s going to be stupidity and abuse. You can’t control that.

I thought that the only thing I would ever agree on with that fat fuck would be choices in BBQ restaurants, but I guess I agree with this too.

You know what the end is going to be. It’s the time between now and the end.
Would YOU want that time to be prolonged, drawn out, in misery and pain?
Or would you want it quick, maybe a little more dignified?

Me? Give me the switch, not the dimmer.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:


It used to be that a desire to end one's own life was considered a sign of mental illness. That way of thinking seems to have gone by the board.

It still is considered a mental illness.
However, I would say that there’s a MAJOR DIFFERENCE in-

Some 17 year old kid who wants to kill themselves because their girlfriend/boyfriend broke up with them.

Some 40 year old who gambled the family savings and kids college fund away.

A 50 year old who’s looking at “natural life” behind bars because they’re a Pederass.

xxxxxxx AND xxxxxx

A 75 year old who’s looking at the next few months of pain and suffering because of Stage 4 cancer of something.

A 80 year old with dementia.

A 35 year old who knows his brain is rotting away from cancer.

quote:

Gov. JB Pritzker Do you agree with him on this?

I don't agree with asking the medical community or anyone else to off oneself, no matter whose idea.