 The statute, she claimed, was constitutional on its face, because the state had interests - such as protecting those who are not truly competent or facing imminent death or whose decisions would not be genuinely voluntary - of such gravity as to validate its legislation in pursuit of these interests.She said there was no constitutional conflict here; a patient was free to seek pain-relieving medication from their doctor, even at risk of health, to alleviate suffering, and this was a constitutionally acceptable alternative to permit in the absence of legalized assisted suicide.Justice O'Connor went on to say that, because everyone will face suffering of this kind (be it to themselves or a loved one), she had faith in the democratic process to strike an appropriate balance.