I second John Donegan’s belief that assisted suicide shouldn’t be prohibited by the spiritual concerns of others, or the state, for that matter (“Government intervention in end-of-life care is not a good thing,” Feb. 16). Fortunately, there are several legal ways in California to hasten one’s death. The California Legislature enacted the End of Life Option Act, which authorizes doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to their terminally ill patients. There are strict qualifications, including that a patient has a diagnosis of death within six months. Search for “compassion and choices” for more details. Search for “end of life doula” or “death doula,” and you will find a number of practitioners in SLO County. Search for finalexitnetwork.org for details.
Michael Klingler
Arroyo Grande
This article appears in Weddings 2023.