{"id":67010,"date":"2016-08-06T23:55:03","date_gmt":"2016-08-07T05:55:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/colorado-aid-in-dying-proponents-submit-signatures\/"},"modified":"2016-08-07T05:55:03","modified_gmt":"2016-08-07T05:55:03","slug":"colorado-aid-in-dying-proponents-submit-signatures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/colorado-aid-in-dying-proponents-submit-signatures\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado aid-in-dying proponents submit signatures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Dan
Dan Diaz, husband of the late Brittany Maynard, speaks at the Colorado Capitol on June 21 in favor of a ballot proposal that would ask voters to allow terminally ill patients to request life-ending medication. Maynard gained national attention in 2014 for her fight with brain cancer and her desire to have life-ending medication.<\/span>Peter Marcus\/Durango Herald file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

DENVER \u2013 Proponents of allowing terminally ill patients to request life-ending medication submitted more than 160,000 signatures to qualify for the November ballot.<\/p>\n

Colorado End of Life Options delivered the signatures to the secretary of state\u2019s office Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally don\u2019t know whether I would take the option to exercise medical aid-in-dying, and hope never to be confronted with that decision,\u201d said Denver resident Matt Larson, who was diagnosed with brain cancer last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, knowing that dying from brain cancer can be an agonizing and painful death, simply having the option would bring me a tremendous amount of peace and comfort now while I continue my fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

It takes 98,492 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. Proponents believe they have submitted enough signatures to provide a cushion to qualify.<\/p>\n

The effort would impact terminally ill adult patients with a prognosis of six months or less to live. Two physicians would need to confirm the prognosis, patients would need to be mentally capable, the medication would need to be self-administered, two oral requests separated by 15 days and a third written request would be needed, and patients would have the right to rescind the request at any time.<\/p>\n

Colorado would join five states with medical aid-in-dying laws.<\/p>\n

Opponents call the program \u201cassisted suicide,\u201d to the ire of proponents. They point to religious concerns and possible unintended consequences.<\/p>\n

Critics raise fears that the legislation would lead to elder abuse, in which a patient\u2019s heir might push for end-of-life options for financial gain. They also suggest that doctors might misdiagnose how long a person has to live.<\/p>\n

But proponents point out that 65 percent of Coloradans support the effort, according to polling touted by the campaign.<\/p>\n

The drive comes after the Legislature failed to advance similar legislation.<\/p>\n

pmarcus@durangoherald.com<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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