This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The waiting list for those needing an organ donation grows at an alarming rate. The benefits of individuals registering their willingness to be a donor after their death by far outweighs the costs. Whether one should choose to donate is not the question; rather, should opting in be mandated by the government?
More than 116,000 Americans are currently on the organ waiting list. A new name is added every 13 minutes, and every day 18 people die while waiting.
If the government mandated an opt-out system instead of an opt-in system, where you are automatically registered for organ donation unless you say otherwise, the result would be phenomenal.
Since one individual's donated organs can potentially save up to eight lives, there would be no waiting list. Americans would not need to go to other countries to "shop" for organs that may not be the most suitable for their needs.
If you had the chance to save a life, would you?
Kara A. Poulton
St. George