The overtly contentious Washington's `Death with Dignity' Act - which legalizes `assisted suicide' - became effective on Thursday.

As per the new voter-approved initiative, termed as Initiative 1000, though the physicians will be allowed to recommend fatal doses of drugs to mentally-incompetent and terminally-ill patients, it will be left to the patients to self-consume the lethal prescription.

The earliest any patient could lawfully end his or her life using the new law is 15 days from the time of initiation of the legal process.

With the backers of I-1000 putting together the lists of local doctors and pharmacies agreeable on the idea of helping people end their lives, a Seattle cardiologist, Dr. Robert Thompson, already counts himself in!

Expressing his opinion about the `Death with Dignity' law, Thompson said: "I don't think that's doing harm. I believe the individual has a right to make a decision to either go that route or if there is another option, to take it."

Meanwhile, nearly 100 protesting members of True Compassion Advocates showed their disapproval of the new law outside the University of Washington Medical School, which has decided to go by the law.

However, those rejecting the law outright include Western Washington hospitals - Tacoma General; Skagit Valley Hospital; Franciscan health system; Providence hospitals; Good Samaritan in Puyallup; Seattle's Virginia Mason; and Seattle's Swedish Medical Center.