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Initiative 1000 (I-1000) of 2008 established the U.S. state of Washington's Death with Dignity Act (RCW 70.245), which legalizes physician-assisted dying with certain restrictions. Passage of this initiative made Washington the second U.S. state to permit some terminally ill patients to determine the time of their own death. The effort was headed by former Governor Booth Gardner. The measure was approved in the November 4, 2008 general election. 1,715,219 votes (57.82%) were cast in favor, 1,251,255 votes (42.18%) against. There were 2,966,474 votes total. 30 of the state's 39 counties voted in favor of the initiative.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title= November 4, 2008 General Election )〕 In 1991, the similar initiative 119 was rejected by Washington voters by a margin of 54 percent to 46 percent. I-119 would have allowed doctors to prescribe a lethal dosage of medication, and also to administer it if the terminally ill patient could not self-administer. Unlike that initiative, I-1000 requires the patient to ingest the medication unassisted. The initiative is based on Oregon Measure 16, which Oregon voters passed in 1994. At that time, Oregon was the only other state to have enacted similar legislation. In 2013, Vermont became the third state to enact similar legislation. ==Specific provisions in the initiative== The official ballot summary for the measure, slightly amended following a February 2008 court challenge, is, "This measure would permit terminally ill, competent, adult Washington residents medically predicted to die within six months to request and self-administer lethal medication prescribed by a physician. The measure requires two oral and one written request, two physicians to diagnose the patient and determine the patient is competent, a waiting period, and physician verification of an informed patient decision. Physicians, patients and others acting in good faith compliance would have criminal and civil immunity."〔(【引用サイトリンク】date=2008-01-24 )〕 Provisions in the law include: * The patient must be an adult (18 or over) resident of the state of Washington * The patient must be mentally competent, verified by two physicians (or referred to a mental health evaluation) * The patient must be terminally ill with less than 6 months to live, verified by two physicians. * The patient must make voluntary requests, without coercion, verified by two physicians * The patient must be informed of all other options including palliative and hospice care * There is a 15 day waiting period between the first oral request and a written request * There is a 48 hour waiting period between the written request and the writing of the prescription * The written request must be signed by two independent witnesses, at least one of whom is not related to the patient or employed by the health care facility * The patient is encouraged to discuss with family (not required because of confidentiality laws) * The patient may change their mind at any time and rescind the request * The attending physician may sign the patient's death certificate which must list the underlying terminal disease as the cause of death 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Washington Death with Dignity Act」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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