Corinne Carey, Compassion & Choices’ Senior Campaign Director for New York and New Jersey
Corinne Carey, Compassion & Choices’ Senior Campaign Director for New York and New Jersey, issued this statement following the decision Sunday by the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) to reverse its longtime opposition to New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act and support passage of the bill.
“This was a longtime conversion process in the making based on the facts cited in the state medical society’s resolution that: ‘public attitudes to assisted dying are changing…and doctors’ views on assisted dying are also changing, partly by responding to the wishes and hopes of their patients.’ We appreciate the Medical Society finally and ultimately coming to the right conclusion and adding its support to the long list of nearly 50 statewide organizations that now support the Medical Aid in Dying Act.
“We can now add MSSNY’s support to that of the New York State Academy of Family Physicians, which joined the campaign to pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act seven years ago. And we know, the overwhelming majority of New York physicians support medical aid in dying, as do New Yorkers. A recent YouGov poll showed New Yorkers overwhelmingly support medical aid in dying, 72-23%, including strong majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents, as well as Black, white, Latino, and Asian voters, and voters from every region of the state.
“Previously, there were a handful of lawmakers who told us they had a tough time supporting medical aid in dying while the state Medical Society was opposed, despite the support of the state Academy of Family Physicians. Well, that excuse is no more. The two largest physician organizations in New York are now solidly in support of the Medical Aid in Dying Act.
“The time has come for the Legislature to act on this bill is NOW. The Legislature should swiftly pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act to show love and compassion to their terminally ill constituents so they have the option to peacefully end needless suffering at the very end of their lives.”
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