sisters.jpeg

Laurie Wilcox, left, of Clark and her sister Melissa, of Bordentown, are advocating for the right to end their lives in New Jersey. Both have terminal diseases.

(Courtesy Photo)

If you haven't had the experience of watching a loved one die a long and horribly painful death, consider yourself very, very lucky.

To stand hopelessly at a father's bedside as the man who raised you loses control of his limbs and bodily functions, to hear a wife's moans as she begs for a release from the cancer that wracks her frame - these are scenes no one should ever have to witness.

Five states in the Union recognize that. New Jersey should be among them.

State lawmakers, with the backing of Senate President Steve Sweeney, will again try to pass the highly-controversial Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act.

The measure would allow the Garden State to join California, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Vermont in giving doctors permission to write prescriptions that would help patients with incurable and irreversible illnesses end their lives.

The Legislature first considered a so-called physician-assisted suicide bill in its 2012-13 session. Despite polls showing that nearly two-thirds of respondents in the state agree it is "morally acceptable" for patients with six months or less left to live to take their own lives, the lawmakers twice failed to pass the measure.

It's time for them to listen to the anguished pleas of patients and their advocates and give the bill a fair and honest hearing.

Crafters of the measure have written in a host of safeguards to avoid potential abuse.

Adult patients with terminal illnesses would first have to verbally request a prescription from their attending doctor, then follow it will a second request at least 15 days later and yet another in writing signed by two witnesses.

The doctor would be required to give the patient the chance to rescind the request, and then to call in a consulting physician to reaffirm that the patient is capable of making a decision.

Research has shown that similar bills in the other states have improved the mental health of patients, and there is little evidence that people are improperly taking advantage of the bills' intent.

Not all who seek out the life-ending drugs choose to use them, studies have found. Frequently, just having the prescribed medication on hand provides a sense of calm and serenity that makes the final days and hours more bearable.

"Aid in dying is about alleviating suffering and empowering those who are terminally ill to make their own health-care decisions," said state Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), sponsor of the bill.

Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester) is the lead sponsor of the Assembly version.

We remain steadfast in our belief that this is a humane issue, not a partisan one. This legislation needs to move forward, sooner rather than later.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

