Majority of Californians Supports Doctor-Assisted Suicide

Fifty-seven percent of California adults support a bill (AB 651) that would allow terminally ill patients to obtain life-ending medications, according to a February Field Poll, the Contra Costa Times reports.

Under the bill, terminally ill patients would have to be declared mentally competent by two doctors and wait for 15 days before they would be able to request a lethal prescription to self-administer.

The poll also found:

• 34% of Californians are opposed to the bill (Kleffman, Contra Costa Times, 3/15);
  
  
• 70% of California adults and 69% of registered voters said terminally ill patients have the right to ask for and receive life-ending medicines;
  
  
• 80% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans favored the bill;
  
  
• 73% of men and 67% of women supported the bill;
  
  
• 65% of Protestants and 64% of Roman Catholics supported the bill; and
  
  
• 76% of born-again Christians opposed the legislation.