The first person in Western Australia has died under the recently enacted voluntary assisted dying laws.
The unnamed person's death was confirmed in a Facebook post from Premier Mark McGowan.
"We passed these laws so terminally ill Western Australians, who are suffering, could have the compassionate choice to end their lives with dignity," Mr McGowan said.
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"I can only imagine what an emotional time it must have been for the person involved and their loved ones."
The person has not been identified. Mr McGowan called on people to respect the privacy of their unnamed family.
"Death is a difficult issue, and we don't like thinking about what the end of our lives may look like," he said.
"I am sure many will find comfort in the fact these laws mean neither they nor their loved ones will be forced to suffer needlessly at the end of their lives.
"That is why so many Western Australians fought so hard for so long to bring about these laws, and why the WA community supported them so emphatically."
READ MORE: South Australia legalises voluntary assisted dying
Voluntary assisted dying laws passed Western Australian parliament in December 2019, but only came into effect at the start of this month.
A person must be terminally ill with an intolerably painful condition to be eligible.
