Washington state will no longer release public reports about assisted suicide deaths

The state of Washington has announced it will no longer release data on its assisted suicides, sparking concerns over the resulting risk of abuses that would worsen what is already a gravely immoral practice.

The Washington State Department of Health website has posted a notice on its website stating that “due to funding cuts,” it has halted its so-called “Death with Dignity Program,” meaning that while eligible patients may still commit assisted suicide, reports documenting the practice will no longer be released.

The health agency said it has made the “difficult decision” to discontinue its assisted suicide report so that staff can focus on “prioritiz[ing] patient safety and other critical work,” according to The Telegraph.

“A 2024 annual statistical report will not be released. The most recent available data year is 2023,” states the Washington Health website.

This new norm raises questions about compliance with Washington law, since the so-called “Death with Dignity Act” requires that the department of health “collect information and make an annual statistical report available to the public (RCW 70.245.150),” as past reports state.

LifeSiteNews has reached out to the Washington Department of Health for comment but has not received a response by the time of publishing.