Advocate for Suicide Prevention & Palliative Care, Not End-of-Life Options

Members of the NH Coalition for Suicide Prevention (NHCSP), representing a broad range of organizations who advocate for suicide prevention on behalf of those vulnerable to suicide, are opposing House Bill 1283 (HB 1283), also known as “End-of-Life Options.” The NHCSP members have signed a pledge to advocate for palliative care for those living with chronic illnesses or diagnosed with a terminal disease over promoting suicides that work against the state’s suicide prevention initiatives.

According to Steve Wade, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Brain Injury Association,  “HB 1283, if passed, has the potential to normalize suicide as an acceptable medical procedure for vulnerable individuals, posing tragic consequences for individuals with disabilities, those living with chronic conditions such as people with brain injuries, veterans, the elderly, and others who may be susceptible to taking their own lives.”

NH citizens living with disability are at extremely high risk for suicide –they are  four times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population. NH’s veterans living with disability, especially those living with TBI (traumatic brain injury) and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), are at an even higher risk for suicide – eight times more than the general population.

In New Hampshire, in 2017, suicide was the 8th leading cause of death (with a suicide rate of 19.0 per 100,000 population) which was higher than the national average (New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services & Injury Prevention Center at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Health, 2018). According to data from the CDC, NH has the second-highest suicide rate in New England and the 19th highest suicide rate in the U.S.  The latest report from the NH Suicide Prevention Council stated that adults age 45-64 make up the largest share of suicides in the Granite State.  

Some 57.12% of New Hampshire communities do not have enough mental health providers to serve their residents, according to federal guidelines.  A recent poll by the National Library of Medicine found that only 22% of percent of physicians would be willing to participate in the PAS practice.

The NHCSP believes the state should prioritize palliative care resources to assist those with chronic health issues and terminal diagnoses, rather than advocating for measures that could potentially encourage people to consider suicide.

“Increasing popular sentiment on physician-assisted suicide should not be the basis for establishing healthcare policy; data and research must drive healthcare policy.  At this time, the data is clear – people with disabilities, the elderly, and other vulnerable populations already experience inequitable access to culturally competent care due to ableism and other cultural biases.  Healthcare policy must protect vulnerable citizens, not put their lives at further risk by offering suicide as a mode of care” said Lisa Beaudoin, Strategies for Disability Equity LLC.

Melinda Simms, United Spinal Association, said “I enlisted in the Air Force 39 years ago. I’m one of three members of my immediate family who proudly served our country. I’m a disabled veteran with a spinal cord injury and HB 1283 greatly alarms me! This bill preys upon the weak. Physician-assisted suicide poses a threat to many populations who are highly susceptible to suicide. This is especially true for our veterans who are experiencing PTSD, depression, traumatic brain injury, etc.”

Jules Good, a disability justice organizer, said “As a queer, trans, disabled person living in New Hampshire, I feel strongly that we are ill-equipped to ethically legalize assisted suicide in this state. I have seen how broadly and deeply vulnerable populations have been let down by our broken health care system in my roles as a direct support worker, policy professional, and patient. Every bill runs the risk of poor safeguard enforcement; in this case, that risk carries a life-or-death consequence, in a state where many people are already dying unnecessarily because of dismal access to care.”
  
The NHCSP augments the work of organizations like the State Suicide Prevention Council (State Suicide Prevention Council | Bureau of Community Health Services | New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and The Samaritans | Connected. Resilient. Community. by fostering a dialogue on suicide prevention, providing help and resources for those considering suicide while also advocating for legislation that protects those most vulnerable to suicide.

Members of the NH Coalition for Suicide Prevention include ABLE NH; the Brain Injury Association of NH; Strategies for Disability Equity, LLC; Catholic Charities Inc; United Spinal Association; NH Veterans Wings of Hope Foundation; Not Dead Yet; Patients Rights Action Fund; UNH Students for Life; Catholic Medical Center; NH Hospital Association;  Mount Royal Academy; Military Officers Association of America (MOAA); Catholic War Veterans and St. Joseph Hospital.

The NH Coalition for Suicide Prevention calls on legislators, policymakers, and the public to consider the potential ramifications of HB 1283 on suicide prevention efforts and the vulnerable populations it may affect and asks them to oppose this legislation.