Patient advocates are raising alarms over Colorado’s assisted suicide program, claiming that doctors are prescribing lethal drugs to patients solely because they suffer from eating disorders.
The concerns follow reports of individuals diagnosed with “terminal anorexia,” a controversial medical classification critics argue is overly broad and potentially dangerous.
Matt Vallière, executive director of the Patient Rights Action Fund and the Institute for Patient Rights, recounted one such case in the Denver Post.
Jane Allen, who struggled with anorexia for most of her life, was diagnosed in 2018 with terminal anorexia.
According to Vallière, her doctor reportedly informed her that she could pursue assisted suicide if she wished.
Jane described feeling coerced into the program, spending months in an assisted living facility under hospice care.
She was prescribed lethal medications but was ultimately saved when her father obtained a guardianship order, ensuring the drugs were destroyed.
“I weaned off the morphine and all the other hospice drugs that kept me in such a fog. I was getting better,” Jane said.
She later moved to Oregon, regained employment, adopted a puppy, and rebuilt relationships with friends and family.
Vallière warned that similar cases could result in preventable deaths for other patients without intervention.
According to Live Action, Colorado recorded 510 assisted suicide prescriptions last year for individuals with eating disorders—a record for the state.
Advocates say these numbers reflect a troubling trend in which vulnerable patients are being offered lethal drugs instead of access to therapeutic and mental health care.
Another patient, Mary Gossman, reportedly was told by a Denver eating disorder clinic, “There’s nothing we can do for you,” which made her eligible for lethal medication under Colorado law.
Gossman has joined a lawsuit challenging the state’s assisted suicide program, arguing that it discriminates against people with disabilities by prioritizing assisted suicide over therapy and treatment.
Twelve U.S. states and the District of Columbia currently allow assisted suicide, according to LifeSite News.
Colorado’s law has drawn criticism for permitting doctors to approve lethal prescriptions for patients with disabilities, even when mental health interventions might be more appropriate.
Vallière and other advocates contend the policy may violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, as the state provides funding for lethal drugs but not for palliative or therapeutic care.
Medical experts have raised additional concerns about the methods used in assisted suicide.
Live Action reports that the drugs can cause severe pain, including burning sensations and suffocation, while a study in Anaesthesia found that some patients take up to 30 hours to die, with a small percentage taking several days.
The physical and emotional toll of these procedures has prompted calls for greater oversight.
Advocates emphasize the ethical implications of labeling psychiatric conditions as terminal.
“What we do know is that these laws are not as rosy as the propaganda would have you believe,” Vallière said, urging lawmakers to consider the risks of collateral damage to vulnerable patients.
They argue that relying on assisted suicide as a “solution” could erode trust between doctors and patients, particularly those struggling with eating disorders or mental health conditions.
As lawsuits and public scrutiny mount, critics warn that current policies could put patients at risk and create a precedent for expanding assisted suicide in ways that endanger the disabled and mentally ill.
Supporters argue the programs provide choice and dignity, but cases like Allen and Gossman highlight the ongoing debate over medical ethics, disability rights and the limits of physician authority in life-ending decisions.
