Well, big “news” broke yesterday with the announcement of the publication of a study that claims to put an end to any idea of “abuses” under assisted suicide and euthanasia laws in Oregon and the Netherlands, respectively. The lead author is Margaret Battin, who is a long-time advocate of legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia, and is on the advisory board of Death With Dignity National Center. Her advocacy history is mentioned in some articles but not in others. Interestingly, the objectivity of Battin and her colleagues goes unquestioned in the mainstream news reports. I have a hard time imagining the publication of an article with contrary findings by an anti-euthanasia advocate that wouldn’t get challenged harshly on its objectivity.
Many of the articles that have come out since yesterday are little more than reproductions of the press release issued by the University of Utah. This Reuters story by Will Dunham is one such example.
One reporter, Kirsten Stewart of the Salt Lake Tribune actually contacted us for the story she was working on, but “right on deadline.” That means that there was little time to review or process the reports regarding the study to be published in the Journal of Medical Ethics. Luckily, Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition had emailed a copy of the Univ. of Utah press release and his own critique earlier in the day, so I was able to beg a few minutes to look over the points in the release.
Here are the points I made:
- the term “slippery slope” has always included the idea that the practices of assisted suicide and euthanasia will expand beyond the original “target population.” This has happened in the Netherlands, which has given the green light to both infanticide of disabled infants and facilitation of the suicides of some people with psychiatric labels (link to information on both of these below).
- the data used are “soft data” – there is no way to verify the information coming from the anonymous self-reports of medical professionals in the Netherlands and Oregon. In fact, recent events in Oregon have highlighted how little accountability and oversight there really is. After being embarrassed by some investigative reports regarding Oregon’s Nursing Review Board, the Governor ordered an investigation. The result – the top two people are gone. Among the serious cases never referred to police were two nurses who admit to “assisting” a patient commit suicide, although there is no evidence she requested any such “help.” Due to the inaction of the Review Board and the delay, prosecutors are doubtful they will be able to press a case.
So what actually made it into the Salt Lake Trib article? Just this:
Stephen Drake, an analyst at Not Dead Yet, a disabled-rights group opposed to euthanasia, claims the study used “soft” data self-reported by doctors.
Notice that none of the reasons for calling this “soft data” are shared in the article. And nothing about the narrow and idiosyncratic definition of “slippery slope” used by the Battin and her colleagues. Maybe it’s because she was on deadline and she didn’t have time to verify my own claims. But she did have time to get this quick refutation from one of the two pro-assisted suicide advocates (in addition to Battin) quoted in the article:
Proponents of assisted death argue the methodology was peer reviewed.
“It’s the most pre-eminent examination of the data with the slippery slope question in mind,” said Kathryn Tucker, legal affairs director at Compassion & Choices.
For anyone interested in specifics regarding the expansion of euthanasia and the lack of controls there, you can check out our archived copy of “Euthanasia is Out of Control in the Netherlands” which was published as in the “Perspectives” section of the Hastings Center Report in 2005. –Stephen Drake
Addendum: Coincidentally, Beth Haller has written about Not Dead Yet today on the Society for Professional Journalists’ Diversity Blog. Check out what she’s telling reporters about us in “Activist group, Not Dead Yet, can be a significant news source.”
Addendum II: Wesley Smith has additional insight and analysis in Battin Assisted Suicide Report Demonstrates the Vapidity of “Scientific Studies.”