In 2011, The Gallup Poll reported that most Americans (48 percent) believed doctor-assisted suicide to be morally wrong. But those who thought it was acceptable were closing in at 45 percent.

On Dec. 19 Friends of Compassion will discuss the issue of assisted suicide at its regular meeting. There, Jan Treecraft will tell the story of her husband's fatal battle with tongue cancer. According to an announcement from Friends of Compassion:

Dan Treecraft lived his life the way he wanted. He ended it that way, too. When diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2010, he decided against fighting the disease and began planning suicide. He died after breathing from a cylinder of nitrogen gas. Suicide is legal in Washington state and a group of close friends and family surrounded him, said his wife, Jan Treecraft. Treecraft rejected treatment for his cancer, holding to his belief that today’s medical system is run amok, an industry dominated by a perverse mantra of fighting the inevitability of death – at any cost.

The meeting, titled "Assisted Suicide: A Compassionate Path?," will be from 7-9 p.m. at the Spokane Buddhist Temple.

Take the poll here.