How Oregon’s right-to-die law has inspired other US states and countries

Youssef Cohen rides to a doctor's appointment with his wife in New York on 16 March 2016 in New York City. Cohen, who had an incurable cancer called mesothelioma, advocated for the right to choose how and when he would die, and later moved to Oregon, which has a Death with Dignity law. Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images

It’s three decades since Ann Jackson voted against the first assisted-dying law in the world.

But after watching two partners succumb to cancer, and fearing the prospect of a lingering death herself as she grapples with autoimmune diseases, Jackson is now a vigorous proponent of the Oregon legislation used by thousands of people to end their own lives, and providing a blueprint for other US states and countries considering similar laws, including the UK.