A look at use of Oregon's law on assisted suicide

Oregon voters approved a law allowing terminally ill people to end their lives in 1994, but opponents persuaded a federal judge to issue an injunction temporarily blocking the law. Voters in November 1997 overwhelmingly reaffirmed the nation's first aid-in-dying law, and it's been in place ever since. According to state statistics compiled through Dec. 31, 2013: - People who have used the law since late 1997: 752 (396 men, 356 women) - People younger than 35 who have used the law: 6 - Median age of the deceased: 71 - Percentage of the deceased who were white: 97 - Percentage who had at least some college: 72 - Percentage of patients who informed relatives of their decision: 94 - Percentage of patients who died at a home: 95 percent - Median minutes between ingestion of lethal drug and unconsciousness: 5 - Median minutes between ingestion and death: 25 - Number of terminally ill people who have moved to Oregon to die: unknown Published: Tue, Nov 04, 2014