The Legalization Of Assisted Suicide

Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) has grown into quite a contentious topic over the years. According to Breitbart and Rosenfeld (1), physician-assisted suicide can be defined as “a physician providing medications or advice to enable the patient to end his or her own life.” One may find many articles that are written by physicians, pharmacists, patients, and family of patients who receive PAS; from there, it is possible to gain a better understanding of what PAS is and how it has become a rising issue in the United States. For readers who have not heard about PAS and what it entails, it is important to understand that this is a debatable topic that should be approached lightly and non-aggressively in the United States when factors such as offering terminally ill patients the right to end their suffering, the likelihood of overall healthcare cost to decrease, and the comparison of palliative care to physician-assisted suicide are examined.

The healthcare system is complex with nearly every decision made posing an ethical dilemma for patients, providers, and healthcare leaders. With an influx of new medical knowledge from evidence based practices and new technologies more decisions are being made available to patients and families. Terminally ill patients for instance are faced with numerous options when it comes to treatment including whether or not they end their life by terminating treatment altogether or seek controversial options such as Physician’s Assisted Suicide. The topic of Physician’s Assisted Suicide or (PAS) is very intricate with numerous pros and cons, moral ethics, and ways to address the issue within the healthcare practice.

The topic of physician-assisted suicide has become very controversial because of the ethical questions. The physical state of health of the patient, the patient’s personal life, and even the financial pressure of the patient are all factors to consider when contemplating whether or not to legalize this controversial cause of death. Physician-assisted suicide regarding medical ethics states that a physician cannot legally give any patient a lethal injection to end their life, but they can take the patient off of life support in order to increase the process of death. Physician-assisted suicide should be legalized at a federal level and should be morally acceptable for patients who are terminally ill and can no longer be treated to improve their medical situation.

Support for the participation of physicians in the suicides of terminally ill patients is increasing. Much of the controversy surrounding physician-assisted suicide however focuses on the debate over whether the practice should be legalized. A woman suffering from cancer became the first person known to die under the law of physician-assisted suicide in March of 1998. In 1994, voters in Oregon approved a referendum called the Death with Dignity Act, which was enacted in 1997. This law allows patients who have been given six months or less to live that wish to hasten their deaths to obtain lethal doses of medication prescribed by two doctors. Between 1998 and 2000, ninety-six lethal prescriptions were written, and seventy patients took the

Brittany Maynard was given six months to live after being diagnosed with the deadliest form of brain cancer; she had recently just turned 29. To make matters worse, doctors had told her she would suffer from the tumor in a slow and painful manner before succumbing to death. Maynard decided she would die on November 1, a few days after her husband’s birthday under physician-assisted suicide. Unfortunately, she had to relocate from California, where her friends and family lived, to Oregon in order to fall under the “Die With Dignity” act. According to euthanasia.procon.org, only four states in the whole country have legalized assisted suicide. Unfortunately, there are many like Maynard, who have to relocate and leave their home or go through a long and strenuous court battle to receive this treatment plant. This is due to the disapproval of physician-assisted suicide.

Imagine laying in a hospital bed with a terminal illness, attached to many machines that are keeping you alive, family members and friends taking turns visiting, doctors constantly doing their routine check up, having no desire to eat or drink and being fed through tubes. The doctors have gave you the word that there is no chance of survival, it could be months, weeks, days, or even hours before you say your goodbyes. Would you not want all the suffering to stop and want your life to be over as soon as possible? In Canada as well as many other countries physician assisted suicide also known, as euthanasia is illegal. However, as some would like to call it mercy killing is legal in countries such as Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg under certain regulations such as the patient must be under an unbearable condition that is alleviated. Physician assisted suicide should be legalized in Canada as well for many reasons. People that are under constant suffering whether it is at the hospital or at home can die with dignity. One of the most important reasons physician assisted suicide should be legal in Canada is that it is a humane way for terminally ill patients to end their lives without suffering any longer. Patients that cannot enjoy their last days on earth due to suffering should have a choice, if they know that there illness is incurable then he or she is looking forward to dying since there is no chance of life. Additionally, the patients as well as family members and

Assisted suicide is a controversial topic, with surprisingly realistic and convincing arguments from each side. The opposing side of the argument inflicts moral responsibility in anyone researching the topic. The supporters of assisted suicide impose a common argument, “my body, my choice.”.

With an advancing medical field, new technology allows doctors to do almost the impossible. Automatic genetic analysis, restoration of eyesight, and robotic limbs remain as some of the most cutting edge innovative technology in the medical field. Society witnesses the creation of even more medical breakthroughs, however, the application of new found research enhances and prolongs the quality of life for humans. A growing elderly population prompts the progression of superior palliative care and hospice care. While end of life care attempts to make the last months of a person’s life as comfortable as possible, ultimately palliative and hospice care become ineffective in helping with the excruciating pain. Thus, the legalization of physician assisted suicide provides a compassionate death while preserving the concept of patient autonomy.

The issues surrounding assisted suicide are multifaceted. One could argue the practice of assisted suicide can appear to be a sensible response to genuine human suffering. Allowing health care professionals to carry out these actions may seem appropriate, in many cases, when the decision undoubtedly promotes the patient's autonomy. From this viewpoint, the distinctions made between assisted suicide and the withholding of life-sustaining measures appears artificial and tough to sustain. In many cases, the purpose and consequences of these practices are equivalent. On the contrary, if

There are several ethical and legal issues that are raised by the majority concerning the legalization of physician assisted suicide and the role of nurses in the process. Assisted suicide is a legal act of assisting those who are suffering from a deadly illness in ending their lives by providing them the means to do it (Griffith, 2014). Netherland was the first country to legalize physician assisted suicide. In 1994, Oregon became the first state to legalize physician assisted suicide by passing a bill called “death with dignity” followed by Washington and Montana. The law states that in order to be eligible for gaining access to assisted suicide, the patient must be left with 6 months to live, signed by two physicians and mentally stable enough to make decisions. Euthanasia is an alternative term used to describe the act of putting an end to a life in order to spare the individual’s suffering from an incurable or a painful disease process. It is classified to passive, active, involuntary and voluntary euthanasia. Active euthanasia is an act that is actively done to terminate life, while passive is when treatment is stopped in order to shorten the patient’s life. Involuntary euthanasia refers to a decision that is made by the health care providers without the patient knowledge and voluntary refers to patients that knowingly request to end their lives (Levy et al, 2013).

The idea of committing euthanasia and physician- assisted suicide (PAS) had a historical root in the nineteenth century and referred as "skillful alleviation of suffering"1 in Latin transcripts. Recently the theme of the legalization of physician-assisted death (PAD) in Canada boosted in 2012. The decision of the British Columbia Supreme Court in the case of Carter v. Canada (Attorney General) was the threshold of the theme. It ruled that the Canadian Criminal Code 2 prohibition against PAD was discriminatory. According to the decision, the section 241 of the Code abuses the section of 12 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The adjudication is being finalized by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2015 by granting a

Did you know that more than 300 terminally ill people a year commit suicide in England, a country that prohibits physician assisted suicide? Physician assisted death is committed with the aid of another person, usually with lethal injections like fluids through IVs or shots, to help end suffering in those whose pain and/or diseases cannot be healed. By making physician assisted suicide legal, we can reduce the pain of those individuals who suffer in some circumstances. In the states of Oregon, Montana, Washington, New Jersey, and Vermont, this option is already legal, but many more states still need to come to this decision so that chronically ill and suffering people can choose to end their misery and pain rather suffer long and drawn out painful deaths.

Assisted suicide is a topic that has ignited a severe debate due to the controversy that surrounds its implementation. Assisted suicide occurs when a patients expresses their intention to die and request a physician to assist them in the process. Some countries like Oregon, Canada, and Belgium have legalized the process terming it as an alternative to prolonged suffering for patients who are bound to die. Unlike euthanasia where a physician administers the process, assisted suicide requires that the patient voluntarily initiates and executes the process. Although there exists concession such a process is important to assist patients die without much suffering, there has emerged criticism on its risk of abuse and as an expression of medical

     Assisted suicide is one of the most controversial topics discussed among people every day. Everyone has his or her own opinion on this topic. This is a socially debated topic that above all else involves someone making a choice, whether it be to continue with life or give up hope and die. This should be a choice that they make themselves. However, In the United States, The land of the free, only one state has legalized assisted suicide. I am for assisted suicide and euthanasia. This paper will support my many feelings on this subject.

The debate on legalizing assisted suicide is an issue across the globe. It has brought countries to contemplate on the legalities of the matter in their respective legislative branches of government. Assisted suicide is just simply a matter of assessing one's will to perform such act with the permission of the subject or the patient in such way his will be done. The debate now focuses on either the act shall be legalized or not.