HONOLULU, HI—As Hawaii's new "medical aid in dying" law is set to become active in January of 2019, some entrepreneurs are preparing for what they expect will be an increased demand for services that allow an individual to end their lives.
One company, A Way Out, is currently beginning their marketing campaign to increase awareness of the new law and the options available. "We want to make sure that people who are in pain understand that they don't have to suffer anymore. There is 'a way out,'" explains CEO Veda Messner, 28.
The law and the subsequent startup company have faced much criticism from groups who claim that wanting to end one's life has more to do with mental health and can be overcome with support and counseling in many cases. Additionally, others have claimed that A Way Out targets populations most vulnerable to thoughts of ending their lives: middle-aged balding men.
Life-focused activist and protestor of A Way Out, Jerome Lawless, 39, said of the company, "They are clearly trying to make suicide seem like an acceptable option for people like me. Lawless, who has a receding hair line and who has noticed a change in metabolism in the last few years, passionately argued that, "This is nothing short of monstrous. Sure, my physical condition may be on the decline, and I may have lost the luster of youth as I slowly see my face become more bloated and wrinkled each morning as I gaze into the mirror, but there are still reasons to live, probably."
Lawless claims that A Way Out has formed a marketing scheme that explicitly targets men like him, whose hair is not as thick as it once was, and whose levels of testosterone are slowly but surely declining, leading to increased weight gain and less vigor.
Messner denies these claims. "Look, we want to ensure that all people, and we don't care about their age or looks, but we want everyone to be able to take a look at themselves, and if they don't like where they are, and don't think things are going to get better, we want them to know that it doesn't have to feel so hopeless. Some of them may be pudgy, pasty, dull guys with a chrome dome, and we will not turn them away."
Lawless cites specific points that suggest the company is targeting his demographic. "Point one: Their logo shows what is clearly a Friar Tuck hairline on the letter 'o.' Point two: They play their commercials during Monday Night Football. What elderly woman battling kidney disease is watching the [Seattle] Seahawks? And point three: The cover photo in their brochure shows a medical doctor who is like, 25 tops, gently counseling a balding man who is in his 40s, has a terrible comb-over, and looks like he's been on a weekend bender. Tell me they're not spelling it out!"
In response, Messner again emphasized that, "While we do not encourage anyone to take their lives, let's face it. Some people have lost the ability to see value in theirs anymore, and being alive causes more pain than it is worth. A lot of such people may be middle aged men who are balding. We at A Way Out want them to have the option to end their lives with dignity, just like anyone would want."
Although the law at present requires that an individual must have a terminal illness and a few months left to live, A Way Out believes that these restrictions will eventually be loosened as demand for their services increases. "There are so many people out there in pain. Some of that pain is due to incurable cancers and organ failures. And some of that pain is due to small changes in attractiveness and stamina. Who are we to determine who can and can't decide whether they are worth keeping around? Here at A Way Out, we're 'with you 'til the end.'"