organic

organ donation is a highly volatile subject for many.  and rightfully so.  our body is the most sacred possession we have, the only possession we have.  so it is no surprise that there is much discussion about the best organ donation policies.


on january 21, this article was posted in the online huffington post:

Colorado Organ Donor Legislation Pulled

DENVER — A Colorado bill that defaults all driver's license applicants as organ donors is unlikely to become law this year.

Democratic Sen. Lucia Guzman told Denver's KUSA-TV that she is dropping her proposal that the state change to a "presumed consent" system.

That system automatically classifies all applicants for driver's licenses and state ID cards as organ and tissue donors unless they opt out. Such donations are used in several European countries but have raised ethical concerns in the U.S.

The Colorado proposal was introduced last week and sparked fears and opposition from many.

Supporters say they will drop the proposal for now.

Colorado Senate bill: http://goo.gl/MlKSw

should colorado adopt an opt-out policy for organ donation?

yes -
1) there is a shortage of organs available for transplant every year, and although most of the public says that they would donate their organs to help someone else, less are actually registered to donate
2) currently, the family gets the final decision and may override the wishes of the potential donor.
3) the family of a potential donor is in a fragile state after the death of a loved one and they don't need the extra stress of deciding whether to donate organs.
4) this new law retains the role of the potential donor to decide whether or not to donate organs, and requires him/her to be acquainted with the law - like most other laws.
5) this maximizes the number of donated organs.

no -
1) this doesn't mean that more organs will be available.  some could see this as a threat to their rights and may result in less donors than we see currently.  there are some cultural and religious rituals that do not support organ donation.
2) the presumption of consent (potentially despite family wishes) could be traumatic for the family of the donor.  this could result in poor publicity or distrust of the medical profession.
3) there could be medical issues with removal or organs for donation that the family could reveal in a screening before donation.
4) a person may not opt-out because of a misunderstanding and their organs may be removed despite an objection to the procedure.
5) this helps the family stay involved with the donation and support the program.