Dr. Tom Jeanne:

I am not sure I can speak too much about the situation in other states but I will try to address some of the Deputy's other questions and perhaps the other witnesses can chime in. First, if the Deputy looks at page 5 of the report that I forwarded, he will see a graph showing the number of prescription recipients and the number of deaths over the past 26 years. There has been a more than linear increase, so it is really not an average of 96 people per year. There has been a real increase. One of the strengths of the laws to which the Deputy alludes is that when patients get terminal diagnoses, go through the process and receive the medication, it is entirely up to them what to do next. They can just set it aside and forget about it or, if it comes to it, they can decide that now is the time and they do not have to worry about processes or paperwork or that point; they can just take it. Empowering the patient in that way is one of the big strengths of our law.

I have forgotten the Deputy's other question.