More Oregonians Are Choosing to End Their Lives Under the Death With Dignity Act

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reports a steady overall increase in prescriptions and deaths among Death With Dignity Act (DWDA) participants.

Diagnosis of a terminal illness that will result in death within six months is one of the criteria for participation in the DWDA. Another requirement is that participants must be 18 years or older and capable of making and communicating their own healthcare decisions.

The Number of Lethal Prescriptions Increased by 5%

According to the OHA’s annual report, the number of prescriptions for lethal medications increased from 609 to 637, a 5% jump.

However, this is nowhere near the dramatic 2023 record, when the increase in the number of prescriptions written was 29%. This was largely due to a legislative DWDA amendment that allowed out-of-state residents to take part in the program.

Oregon began reporting data on the DWDA death rate in 1998, and since then, the number of lethal doses of drugs ingested has remained on an upward trajectory.

Loss of Independence and the Ability to Live a Full Life, and Loss of Dignity are the Main Reasons

The three most frequent reasons given for end-of-life requests were loss of autonomy (independence) and decreased ability to fully enjoy life, both 89%, and loss of dignity, 65%.

The participants in the DWDA are:

• 65 years and older (88%)
• White (94%)
• Bachelor’s degree or higher (50%)
• Cancer diagnosis (61%)
• Neurological Disease diagnosis (14%)
• Heart Disease (11%).

The OHA reports that most DWDA participants (80%) choose to die at home, and that 92% were enrolled in hospice care.

The report also found that 24 of the 400 DWDA patients who died in 2025, and who had received the lethal dose of drugs, had outlived their death-within-six-months prognosis.

Out-of-State Participants Increased

The number of out-of-state prescription recipients in 2025 numbered 37, an increase from 24 in 2024.

Oregon’s DWDA deaths now represent roughly 0.9% of all deaths statewide. This places Oregon at the upper end of the nation’s assisted death locations.

OHA data reveal that the number of prescriptions written for lethal medications increased by 5%, from 609 to 637, but that between 2024 and 2025, DWDA deaths dropped by 5%, from 421 to 400.

The report also found that less than 1% of the adults who died in each jurisdiction chose medical aid to facilitate their death. The list includes 13 states, as well as the District of Columbia.