Dr. Death is back on the streets. Jack Kevorkian is a brazen advocate for assisted suicide who lends a hand to those looking to end their suffering by killing themselves. His release from prison has sparked renewed interest in the topic of assisted suicide for the terminally ill.
A recent Associated Press poll shows more than two-thirds of Americans believe there are circumstances in which a patient should be allowed to die. A local group, Seniors for Sensible Drug Policy - Nevada, believes they are asking a more sensible question: Are there circumstances when a patient should be allowed to enjoy the euphoric effects of cocaine?
Drug policy reform promoter Lewis Whitten built the shell for SSDPNV. Their goal is to raise enough money for an initiative calling for the legalization of cocaine for terminally ill patients in Nevada. He cites the success of an assisted suicide initiative in Oregon as inspiration for his legalize cocaine initiative.
“If the public condones death for the dying, then surely illegal drug use for those whose days are numbered would also be acceptable,” Whitten says. “There is no reason why the dying shouldn’t have the option to use cocaine for pain relief and to brighten their mood.”
Funding an initiative, however, won’t be cheap. Initiative consultant Bob Adney estimates that getting a voter initiative on the ballot in Nevada would cost about half a million dollars, which usually requires the help of at least one wealthy supporter.
So Whitten is looking for the one big backer to get the 8-ball rolling. The key figure in Oregon’s 1997 doctor-assisted suicide initiative was multimillionaire Loren Parks. Parks moved to Nevada five years ago to avoid Oregon’s income tax, and is someone Whitten is hoping to gain support from.
“An article in the Review-Journal suggested that Parks had no interest in getting politically involved in Nevada,” Whitten says. “But this initiative is just as much for the people of Oregon as it is for Nevadans. SSDPNV is offering a joyous final destination for the world.”
Which makes sense. Las Vegas is home to the world’s finest restaurants and resorts, assuring a terminally ill patient an incredible feast for a last supper and accommodations beyond compare.
And why would a terminally ill patient want to use cocaine in their dying days? At
SSDPNV.org, they state that “cocaine delivers an intensity of pleasure completely outside the normal range of human experience. It offers the most wonderful state of consciousness and the most intense sense of being alive the user will ever enjoy.”
SSDPNV also states that friends and relatives of the dying patient will be pleased as well by the newfound look of spiritual peace and happiness suffusing the features of a loved one as they prepare to cross the line.
