Assisted suicide billboard lands in San Francisco

Posted By: Aileen Yoo | June 17 2010 at 09:00 AM



A New Jersey nonprofit group advocating assisted suicide launched a national campaign here in San Francisco with a billboard. The giant sign, which cost $2,500 and will be up for 30 days, simply reads: "My Life, My Death, My Choice." It also includes the web address for Final Exit Network, the organization behind the billboard that stands at Howard and Van Ness.

Why did FEN choose San Francisco? Final Exit Network spokesman Frank Kavanaugh told KTVU:

"When we thought of California, we tend to think of San Francisco people as pretty clear thinkers."

According to its site, FEN provides support, information and counseling, and doesn't physically help people end their lives. But authorities believe the group played an active role in the death of a cancer-stricken man in Georgia and have charged four network members with assisted suicide, evidence-tampering and racketeering, reports Time. They were indicted by a grand jury in April.

The only states that allow assisted suicide are Montana, Oregon and Washington. It's also legal in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

FEN says it plans to put up more billboards in California, New Jersey and Florida.

From: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/scavenger/detail?blogid=111&entry_id=65977