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“When we commit to passing death with dignity laws, we’re in for the long haul, says Valerie Lovelace, State Leadership Incubator Manager. “Working side by side with strong local organizations, providing grants, technical assistance, and on-the-ground advocacy, our work spans decades: that’s the long-term movement building required to make lasting legislative change.”
“We think we’ve become pretty good at knowing when states are ready to pass medical aid in dying laws,” she states. “That’s why we’re excited to announce our Southwest Strategy: a coordinated effort to secure passage of medical aid in dying legislation in Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico.
"As we prepare for the 2021 legislative session, we’re working with legislators and lobbyists to advance bills in all three states. In addition, we are supporting advocates on the ground by providing grant funding, mentorship and skill-sharing between local leaders, online education and networking, and time-tested model legislation."
Last year, Death with Dignity formalized partnerships with grassroots organizations Arizona End-of-Life Options and New Mexico End-of-Life Options Coalition. Representatives of both groups participated in the DwD State Leadership Incubator program and received grants from Death with Dignity to help bolster constituent outreach and advocacy efforts.

Ron Fischler, MD Tom Fitch, MD Dwight Moore, PhD

ELSEWHERE:
London -- In the largest-ever survey of doctors in the UK, a clear majority of respondents have said they want the British Medical Association (BMA) to drop their opposition to assisted dying. Only a third of BMA members think it should remain opposed. Meanwhile, fully half of doctors said they are personally supportive of a change in the law compared to just 39% who are opposed.
“The impact of these results cannot be underestimated,” says Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying. “I cannot overstate how important this moment is for the fight for end-of-life choice.”
Fifty percent of British doctors personally support assisted dying. And 61% of doctors agree that the BMA should drop their opposition. “These results are a landmark in the debate - doctors see that it’s the right time for change," Wootton adds.
Wellington -- New Zealanders go to the polls Oct. 17 to decide the fate of a national referendum on whether medical aid in dying should be legalized. The bill stipulates that the patient must be the first to suggest assisted dying, and two doctors must agree that the patient is well-informed and other legal criteria are met. The bill to legalize MAID was originally introduced in September 2015 following a landmark right-to-die case from Lecretia Seales, a 42-year-old Wellington lawyer, who subsequently died of natural causes.
Paris – Last month, Alain Cocq, 57, temporarily abandoned his plan to hasten his death by voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED). He has said, however, "Beginning Oct. 12, I will stop all hydration, diet and treatment, except painkillers. This time I will put in writing that my will is free and enlightened. I say, therefore, clearly and solemnly: if I ask for help at such and such a time from the medical world, that does not mean in any way that I want to live.” Health Law Professor Thaddeus Mason Pope has advised Cocq to execute an Advance Directive that will direct caregivers what to do if he again loses mental capacity. Cocq’s right-to-die case has been closely watched in France where medical aid in dying is illegal, but doctors are permitted to put terminally ill patients into a deep sedation when death is imminent.