A patient is diagnosed with brain tumors that have spread to their bones and muscles. The doctor gives them three months to live, but only with the continuation of treatment. They spend most of their remaining time in a hospital receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatments. They must be pushed in a wheelchair because they are too sick to walk and spend the rest of their few months in pain, knowing they will die but not sure when. That is how the last few months of Cristy Grayson's life was spent. Now ask yourself, what would you do if you were in this situation? Would you want to spend the last few months of your life unhappy and in pain, or die peacefully? For some, euthanasia is not an option, but for others it is a way to end their …show more content…
As of 2008, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Andalusia, Thailand and the U.S state of Oregon have made some forms of euthanasia legal. The debate on whether to legalize euthanasia has been an ongoing controversy among physicians, religious leaders, lawyers and the general public (World of Criminal Justice).
The biggest reason why patients choose to be euthanized is because patients feel the quality of life has been damaged due to physical changes. Being extremely sick or even paralyzed can cause patients to feel depressed, and have loss of dignity. Explanations for assisted suicide are pain, hopelessness, and concerns of family members having economic hardship. According to a study of 35 families, nine factors were identified. Out of the 35 patients who wanted to be euthanatized, 24 felt weak and uncomfortable, 23 had loss of function, 14 felt pain from medication, 22 felt no sense of self, 21 felt they had no control, and 3 feared being a burden; This study shows the biggest reason for choosing assisted suicide was found under illness-related experiences (Pearlman). A study done is Oregon also had very similar answers, “89% felt life was no longer enjoyable, 89% felt loss of dignity, and 79% felt lose of autonomy” (Pearlman).
Debates among euthanasia started in the 4th century BC when the Hippocratic oath was written. The oath states that no one should prescribe a deadly drug or give advice that will cause death.
In a study conducted by Oregon Health research, more than 75% of the people who chose death did not cite pain as a concern. (Byock) Another study conducted by these researchers shows the top reasons people chose assisted suicide was loss of independence (91.5%), decreased ability to engage in enjoyable activities (88.7%), loss of dignity (79.3%), loss of control of body (50.1%), and becoming a burden to others
Today, medical interventions have made it possible to save or prolong lives, but should the process of dying be left to nature? (Brogden, 2001). Phrases such as, “killing is always considered murder,” and “while life is present, so is hope” are not enough to contract with the present medical knowledge in the Canadian health care system, which is proficient of giving injured patients a chance to live, which in the past would not have been possible (Brogden, 2001). According to Brogden, a number of economic and ethical questions arise concerning the increasing elderly population. This is the reason why the Canadian society ought to endeavor to come to a decision on what is right and ethical when it comes to facing death.
There are currently three states that have adopted legislation supporting “Death with Dignity”, also known as physician-assisted suicide. Oregon, Washington, and Vermont have each enacted laws that enable a terminally ill, mentally competent, adult to decide and dictate end of life decisions up to and including the time of their death. Oregon was the first United States (U.S.) to enact legislation and other states in the union have followed suit.
Millions of people suffer from terminal illnesses and diseases everyday. Many of those people, especially those living in uncomfortable facilities and those deteriorating, have a strong desire to die with dignity. The subject of physician assisted suicide goes hand in hand with self induced suicide and euthanasia. The issue with physician assisted suicide is that society is not willing to help the issue because a majority of society views it as unethical and morally wrong. The subject is more so focused on the practice of the doctor rather than the pain and the suffering of the
Legal Aspects: Euthanasia is illegal in most countries, although doctors do sometimes carry out euthanasia even where it is illegal. Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium, are the only three countries in the world that have legalized euthanasia. Both countries Netherlands and Luxembourg laws also allow PSA or physician assisted suicide. In the United States, the states of Oregon, Washington and Montana legalized physician assisted suicide, but euthanasia remains illegal.
One major reason why euthanasia should be considered a legal treatment is because of personal choice and a patient right to die. Due to the fact that euthanasia is a patient’s choice, they should have the right to choose whether or not they want to live. Another reason why euthanasia should be legal is because patients should not have to suffer during the end of their life. There are many different diseases that cause physical and mental suffering at the end of a person’s life. For example, people that have metal disorders such as Alzheimer’s or dementia suffer at the end of their life. It may become extremely difficult for the person themselves or the family members of the patient. If a patient has different physical diseases such as lung cancer, the end of life can be extremely painful and daunting. The overall cost is another major factor that makes physician-assisted suicide. Medical costs in order to limit pain and create comfort are extremely expensive for the patient. For example, a patient that suffers cancer can spend upwards of $30,397 in medical care in their last year of life. Around 33% of the costs associated with these medical bills are spent in the last year of life. This cost is much less expensive compared to different forms of physician-assisted suicide. A common method for euthanasia is through the use of medically prescribed pills or other medications. The cost of the pills is around $100 (Emanuel). This is a dramatic decrease compared to the medical bills when life is
A research conducted by Robert Pearlman and Helene Starks,Professor of Medicine at the Departments of Medicine, have found that the strongest reason for choosing physician-assisted suicide from various categories are tiredness from continuous treatment (69%), fear about future quality (60%) and desire of having control over his/her own body (60%) (Camosy). Which, all seems reasonable thus being used as a solid support for euthanasia supporters. However, all of the reasons listed above exhibits the
Transition: Let me show states where euthanasia is legal. According to Talha Khan Burki article, “Attitudes and practices towards legal euthanasia” in August 2016, shows states where euthanasia is legal: Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Netherlands, India, Japan. Five US states also legalized euthanasia: California,
Even today, many states and countries have laws against it. And the areas that do allow it have strict guidelines that encourage patients to take time in their decision to be completely sure it’s what they want. There will always be a debate on which side of euthanasia is considered “right”. Should it be legal to end one’s pain and suffering, or is it unnatural to help take someone’s life on purpose? Every person has their own opinion. Some may even flip between the two sides depending on the situation. Either way, Euthanasia will continue to spark controversy between what is should and shouldn’t be done to a
Euthanasia and assisted suicide are never acceptable acts of mercy. They always gravely exploit the suffering and desperate, extinguishing life in the name of the ‘quality of life’ itself. - Pope john Paul
Euthanasia is legal in quite a few countries regarding some restrictions. Euthanasia is legal in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Different restriction policies of euthanasia apply to the assisted suicide policies that are legal in countries such as Albania, Colombia,
Euthanasia is defined as, "The act or practice of putting to death painlessly a person suffering from an incurable disease." Euthanasia can be traced back as far back as the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. It was sometimes allowed in these civilizations to help others die. Voluntary euthanasia was approved in these ancient societies. Today, the practice of euthanasia causes great controversy. Both pro-life groups and right-to-die groups present arguments for their different sides. Pro-life groups make arguments and present fears against euthanasia. I contend that the case for the right to die is the stronger argument.
America’s founding fathers declared that every person had certain inalienable rights they are born with and cannot be separated from. They listed citizens’ rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today's government must decide if a right to life equates to a right to death.
Most adults diagnosed with cancer undergo years of treatment in attempts to cure that cancer. However, sometimes these treatments may not work, or the cancer is found too late in a patient to be stopped, and a patient’s cancer can be determined terminal, which means that the cancer can not be cured and will lead to death. If cancer is determined terminal, end-of-life care can be administered patients to control lasting pains, including shortness of breath, nausea, and constipation. However, this treatment does not cure the cancer, and will not prevent death in a terminally ill cancer patient. In some cases, patients decide that receiving end-of-life treatment is not worth it if the treatment does not prevent death. Terminally ill cancer patients may also continue to experience unbearable suffering, despite end-of-life treatments, as it is not always effective. These factors may push some terminally ill cancer patients to request to be actively euthanized. Active euthanasia is the merciful ending of a patient’s life through a single act, such as an injection. Terminally ill cancer patients should have the right to determine if they are actively euthanized. However, only patients who consider their suffering unbearable should have the right to be euthanized.
Voluntary euthanasia, or physician-assisted suicide, has been a controversial issue for many years. It usually involves ending a patient’s life early to relieve their illness. Most of the controversy stemmed from personal values like ethics or religion. The euthanasia debate puts a huge emphasis on what doctors should do for their patients and how much a person’s life is worth. Supporters of euthanasia primarily focus on cost and pain alleviation. Opponents of euthanasia tend to focus on morality. Whether euthanasia is legal or not could significantly affect future generations’ attitudes about death. Euthanasia should be legalized nationally because it helps patients that could be in unimaginable pain, offers more options for more people, and it is relatively inexpensive compared to the alternatives.