The peril of California's 'end of life' act

At the end of last month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB 2747, the Terminal Patients' Right to Know End-of-Life Options Act, into law. Supporters hailed it as a victory for Californians in their final days because it requires full disclosure of all options available to terminally ill patients, including euthanasia. Opponents, however, said they worried that the new law would push vulnerable, possibly depressed and uninformed people toward a hasty and ill-considered demise.

By Ben Mattlin

October 19, 2008