[Vision2020] Idaho Suicide Firearms and Death with Dignity

[Kenneth Marcy]

*Idaho Suicide Firearms and Death with Dignity*

Following the 24/7 Wall St. report on gun violence are links to sites
about the idea of death with dignity.

The legal ability to choose a method of death for oneself other than a
firearm, such as medications, for example, appears to have benefits
suggesting its enactment.

During 2016 in Idaho, 89 percent of firearm deaths were suicides, as
opposed to 59 percent nationally.  Some of those individuals may have
preferred another method to achieve death, so a Death with Dignity Act
would offer an alternative way to implement their decision.

Having a Death with Dignity Act enacted would reduce the perceived need
for firearm ownership, and thus increase safety among those without
suicide in mind.


  States With the Most Gun Violence

By Thomas C. Frohlich <https://247wallst.com/author/thomas-c-frohlich/>
and John Harrington <https://247wallst.com/author/john-harrington/>
February 20, 2018 3:55 pm EST

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<https://247wallst.com/special-report/2018/02/20/states-with-the-most-gun-violence-2/print/>
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<https://247wallst.com/special-report/2018/02/20/states-with-the-most-gun-violence-2/?utm_source=247WallStDailyNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=FEB212018A&utm_campaign=DailyNewsletter#>

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The latest mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school reignited
the debate over gun ownership rights and further highlighted the role
that mental illness plays in these tragic episodes of gun violence in
the United States. Last Wednesday, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz killed 17
people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with a semi-automatic
AR-15 rifle before he was apprehended by law enforcement. The weapon
used in the shootings was purchased legally about a year earlier.

With this latest tragedy, three of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in
U.S. history have occurred in the last five months.

While grabbing the most headlines, gun violence is not limited to mass
shootings. Gun fatalities include homicides, accidents, and suicides.
There were 38,658 firearm deaths in the United States in 2016. Of those
fatalities, 22,938 were suicides, and 14,415 were homicides.

No part of the country has been spared mass shootings. The 10 deadliest
incidents have occurred in Texas, California, Florida, Virginia,
Connecticut, Oklahoma, and Nevada.

When adjusted for the population size, five of the deadliest 10 states
are in the South, and six are among the 10 poorest U.S. states. In all
but five states, more than half of all firearm fatalities were suicides.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on gun violence by state based on the latest
information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which
tracks the number of gun-related deaths in each state.

*Click here to see the states with the worst gun violence.*
<https://247wallst.com/special-report/2018/02/20/states-with-the-most-gun-violence-2/2/>
*Click here to see our detailed findings and methodology.*
<https://247wallst.com/special-report/2018/02/20/states-with-the-most-gun-violence-2/12/>


li
Source: Thinkstock

*19. Idaho*
*> Firearm deaths per 100,000 people:* 14.6 per 100,000
*> Total firearm deaths 2016:* 242 (suicides: 215, homicides: N/A)
*> Violent crime rate:* 230.3 per 100,000 (6th lowest)
*> Permit required to carry handgun:* No (A permit to carry is available
but not required to carry a handgun either openly or concealed.)
*> Poverty rate:* 14.4% (19th highest)



  Death with Dignity Acts

https://www.deathwithdignity.org/learn/death-with-dignity-acts/ 



Death with Dignity laws, also known as
<https://www.deathwithdignity.org/terminology/> physician-assisted dying
or aid-in-dying laws, stem from the basic idea that it is the terminally
ill people, not government and its interference, politicians and their
ideology, or religious leaders and their dogma, who should make their
end-of-life decisions and determine how much pain and suffering they
should endure.

Death with Dignity statutes allow mentally competent adult state
residents who have a terminal illness with a confirmed prognosis of
having 6 or fewer months to live to voluntarily request and receive a
prescription medication to hasten their inevitable, imminent death. By
adding a voluntary option to the continuum of end-of-life care, these
laws give patients dignity, control, and peace of mind during their
final days with family and loved ones. The protections in the Act
<https://www.deathwithdignity.org/faqs/#safeguards> ensure that patients
remain the driving force in end-of-life care discussions.

Existing physician-assisted dying laws mirror Oregon’s Death with
Dignity Act, which is widely acclaimed as successful and which
independent studies prove has safeguards to protect patients and
prevents misuse. The Death with Dignity process is robust: Two
physicians must confirm the patient’s residency, diagnosis, prognosis,
mental competence, and voluntariness of the request. Two waiting
periods, the first between the oral requests, the second between
receiving and filling the prescription, are required.


*Idaho*

There is no legislative activity around Death with Dignity in Idaho.



*Ken*

**

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