The November, 2001 National Right To Life News (NRL News) reports that since Oregon’s law authorizing doctor-assisted suicide sent into effect in November 1997, over seventy people have been killed by lethal prescription drugs. All of these lives were apparently ended by federally controlled drugs. Use of these drugs was made possible by a ruling by Clinton-Gore Administration Attorney General Janet Reno which reversed the opinion of her own Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief regarding Oregon.
Under the federal Controlled Substances Act and its implementings regulations, the use of designated narcotics and other dangerous drugs is generally prohibited unless a doctor with a special “registration” to prescribe them does so for a “legimate medical purpose.” The DEA’s ruling was basically that killing patients did not constitute a “legimate medical purpose.” Janet Reno ruled that it did if authorized by state law. Over seventy people have been intentionally killed because of her ruling.
On November 6th, 2001 Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that federally controlled drugs can no longer be used to assist suicide. The next day Oregon and some doctors and others favoring euthanasia filed suit in federal court opposing Ashcroft’s order. The outcome is still uncertain, but we know that with an attorney general who respects life we have a much better chance of having our case presented.
You can express your opinion on all legislations by contacting the following U.S. Senators and Congressman:
| Senator John Breaux | Senator Mary Landrieu | Congressman Billy Tauzin | |
| Senate Office Building | Senate Office Building | House Office Building | |
| Washington, DC 20510 | Washington, DC 20510 | Washington, DC 20510 | |
| (202)224-3121(Switchboard) | (202)224-3121(Switchboard) | (202)225-3121(Switchboard) | |
| (202)224-4623(Direct) | (202)224-5824(Direct) | (202)225-4031(Direct) | |
| Website:www.senator.gov/~breaux | Website:www.senator.gov/senate/landrieu | Website:www.house.gov/tauzin |
| District No. | ||
| Hunt Downer, PO Box 7015, Houma, LA 70361-7015 | (985) 876-0870 | |
| Damon Baldone, 162 New Orleans Boulevard, Houma, LA 70364 | (985) 868-3427 | |
| District No. | ||
| Reggie Dupre, PO Box 3893, Houma, LA 70361 | (985) 876-9902 | |
| John Siracusa, 8905 US 90 East, Morgan City 70380 | (985) 384-0703 |
National Right To Life News, Suite 500, 419 7th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004, Phone (202) 626-8800
Terrebonne-Lafourche Right To Life, P. O. Box 6041, Houma, LA 70361
(504)851-BABY
