ACTION ALERT:

Prevent killing patients with federally controlled drugs!

Urge Your U.S. Senators, Representatives to Co-sponsor

Pain Relief Promotion Act to Protect against Euthanasia

The Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999 has been introduced in the Senate as S. 1272 and in the House as H.R. 2260. This critically important legislation will stop the federal government from facilitating euthanasia, while promoting good pain management and palliative care as positive alternatives. ALL of the people officially reported as killed in Oregon under that state's legalization of assisting suicide WERE KILLED BY FEDERALLY CONTROLLED DRUGS.

The names of the 16 Senate and 132 House co-sponsors as of July 2, 1999 are printed below. You can determine the current co-sponsors at any time by visiting http://thomas.loc.gov and entering the bill numbers. Then link to the "Bill Summary and Status File" and pick "Co-sponsors." With your zip code, you can find out how to contact your own Senators and Representative by visiting http://www.vote-smart.org/congresstrack/c-index.html. If you don't have Internet access, call the Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121. (In-state offices of Senators and Representatives are available by calling local telephone information.)

FACTS ABOUT THE PAIN RELIEF PROMOTION ACT OF 1999

Under federal law and regulations, the use and prescription of certain narcotics and other dangerous drugs is generally prohibited unless a doctor with a special federal "registration" to prescribe them does so for a "legitimate medical purpose."

On June 5, 1998, overturning an earlier policy determination by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno announced that the federal Controlled Substances Act establishes no uniform national policy against the use of federally regulated drugs for assisted suicide. Thus, she said, these drugs may be used to assist patients' suicides in any state which, like Oregon, allows the practice under state law.

In contrast, when it comes to marijuana, whose "medicinal use" has been legalized by referenda in a number of states, the Justice Department continues to maintain that it remains illegal under the Controlled Substances Act no matter what state law may say.

Under Reno's ruling, the federal government facilitates the killing of patients in Oregon by acknowledging their killing as "legitimate" and providing access to the lethal drugs needed to carry it out.

A bill introduced last year to overturn the Reno decision and restore the professional judgment of the DEA that killing a patient is not a "legitimate medical purpose" was opposed by the National Hospice Organization, the American Medical Association and other medical groups who said they feared it might inhibit doctors from prescribing adequate pain relief. However, the bill has now been rewritten both to address this concern and to authorize $5 million annually to foster pain management and palliative care as positive alternatives to euthanasia. The National Hospice Organization and American Medical Association have endorsed the new bill. It has also been endorsed by, among others, the American Academy of Pain Management, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and the Hospice Association of America.

By 64% to 31%, Americans say "no" when asked whether federal law should allow use of federally controlled drugs for the purpose of assisted suicide and euthanasia. (Wirthlin Worldwide June 1999 poll).

Senate Principal Sponsor of S. 1272, the Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999

NICKLES

Senate Co-sponsors:

ABRAHAM ENZI KYL
ALLARD GRAMS LIEBERMAN
BROWNBACK HAGEL LOTT
COVERDELL HELMS SANTORUM
CRAIG INHOFE SESSIONS

House Principal Sponsors of H.R. 2260, the Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999

HYDE
STUPAK

House Co-sponsors:

ADERHOLT / HALL , Tony / PETRI

ARMEY / HASTINGS / PHELPS

BACHUS / HAYES / PICKERING

BAKER / HERGER / PITTS

BALLENGER / HILL / POMBO

BARCIA / HILLEARY / PORTMAN

BARR / HOEKSTRA / RADANOVICH

BARTLETT / HOSTETTLER / RAHALL

BARTON / HUNTER / RILEY

BLUNT / HUTCHINSON / ROGAN

BRADY, Kevin / ISTOOK / RYUN

BRYANT / JENKINS / SALMON

BURR / JOHN / SCHAFFER, Bob

BURTON / JONES / SENSENBRENNER

CALVERT / KELLY / SHIMKUS

CAMP / KILDEE / SHOWS

CANADY / KING / SIMPSON

CHABOT / KLINK / SKELTON

CHAMBLISS / KNOLLENBERG / SMITH, Chris

COBLE / LAFALCE / SMITH, Lamar

COBURN / LaHOOD / SOUDER

COLLINS / LARGENT / SPENCE

COSTELLO / LATHAM / STEARNS

CRANE / LaTOURETTE / SUNUNU

CUNNINGHAM / LEWIS, Ron / TALENT

DEAL / LIPINSKI / TANCREDO

DeMINT / LUCAS, Frank / TAUZIN

DIAZ-BALART / LUCAS, Ken / TAYLOR, Charles

DICKEY / MASCARA / TAYLOR, Gene

DOOLITTLE / McINNIS / TERRY

DOYLE / McINTOSH / THUNE

EHLERS / McINTYRE / TIAHRT

EMERSON / MILLER / WALSH

ENGLISH / MORAN / WAMP

FLETCHER / MYRICK / WATKINS

FORBES / NETHERCUTT / WELDON

FOSSELLA / NORTHUP / WHITFIELD

GIBBONS / NORWOOD / WICKER

GOODE / NUSSLE / WOLF

GOODLATTE / OXLEY

GOODLING / PACKARD

GRAHAM / PEASE

GUTNECHT / PETERSON , Colin

HALL, Ralph / PETERSON, John