Assisted Suicide And The United States

The history of euthanasia can be traced back to the classical antiquity times when many Greek and Roman philosophers considered suicide a “good death” and an appropriate response to a variety of circumstances (Dowbiggin 7). During that period, people would kill themselves through various means such as fasting, drinking poison, and hanging themselves. Unexplained pain due to certain diagnosis caused a spike in suicide which allowed the given

The etymology of the word ‘euthanasia’ originates from the Greek language which has a literal meaning of “good death”. Other names for euthanasia are ‘assisted suicide’ and ‘mercy killing’. Euthanasia is done when the person is suffering from a terminal illness such as cancer, and then steps are taken to end the person’s life so that they no longer have to suffer. [Helga Kuhse. July 1992. Bioethics News. The World Federation of Right to Die Societies. http://www.worldrtd.net/euthanasia-fact-sheet. Accessed 4th April 2016][1]. There are two types of euthanasia, Voluntary Euthanasia which is conducted with the consent of the patient and Involuntary Euthanasia, which is conducted without the patients consent due to the patient being incapable of doing so and then the decision, is made by a person close to the patient. Furthermore there are two types of procedural euthanasia; Passive Euthanasia where life-sustaining treatments are withheld and Active Euthanasia which is where lethal substances or forces are used to end the patient’s life. [Nordquist, C. (2015 October 30). “Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide”. Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/182951.php on 4th April 2016].[2]

Imagine a cancer patient on a short rode to death. The pain this patient is experiencing is unreal and unimaginable to most. The pain medicine that can be used does little to take the agony away. The doctors can put the patient in an induced coma, but what kind of living is that? It is not living. The patient does not want to go on. Is it so wrong to ask for a way out? With less than six months to live, the patient’s hope is gone. Many argue that euthanasia is not ethical, but is it really ethical to let someone live in constant, horrifying pain and agony? While in some cases having the right to die might result in patients giving up on life, physician-assisted suicide should be legalized in all fifty states for terminally ill patients with worsening or unbearable pain.

Individuals who are living yet are dying a slow painful death should deserve to end their lives if they wish to; this excludes suicidal individuals or individuals not suffering a fatal disease. Assisted suicide is intended to relieve oneself of pain and suffering, however, in society many individuals consider this option is immoral, as taking someone's life is unethical. We plan to make assisted suicide legal, as the choice to free yourself from your pain should only be yours; medicine should not be governed or restricted by laws because it makes physicians liable for choices out of their power, which could be regarding a citizen's life.

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.

Physician-assisted suicide is a topic that hits home to many people, both in the United States and across the world. Currently, five states have legalized physician-assisted suicide in the United States and it is crucial that every state reconsiders their stance on the issue. Each state needs to look at the pros and cons, as well as the implications of their decision on their stance on physician-assisted suicide. Citizens also have a critical role, as they must tell their legislators their stance on physician-assisted suicide so that the legislators can properly represent their states. This paper looks to show the major arguments for both the groups that support physician-assisted suicide as well as the groups that oppose physician-assisted suicide, while also taking other issues into consideration, such as different pressures legalization of physician-assisted suicide would have on different demographics.

The process of assisted suicide, or physician-assisted death, is a hotly debated topic that still remains at the forefront of many national discussions today. Assisted suicide can be described as the suicide of patient by a physician-prescribed dose of legal drugs. The reason that this topic is so widely debated is that it infringes on several moral and religious values that many people in the United States have. But, regardless of the way that people feel, a person’s right to live is guaranteed to them in the United States Constitution, and this should extend to the right to end their own life as well. The reasons that assisted suicide should be legalized in all states is because it can ease not only the suffering of the individual, but the financial burden on the family that is supporting him/her. Regardless of opposing claims, assisted suicide should be an option for all terminally ill patients.

Physician-assisted suicide is “often defined by its supporters as helping an individual who is suffering to die with dignity. It is often considered the merciful thing to do” (all.org). It is currently legal in six states, including California as of October 2015. I, as well as seven out of every ten Americans, believe that legalization of assisted suicide should be nationwide (Ross, “Dying Dutch: Euthanasia Spreads across Europe”). Patients all over the country experience life-threatening illness that is often coupled with excruciating pain, physical and emotional. Legalizing assisted suicide provides patients with the option to end their lives with dignity and peace. This also allows patients to no longer feel like a burden on family, friends,

The decision to choose death over life should not be regulated by law, but rather be an individual’s afforded right. Therefore, physician-assisted suicide should be legalized in all 50 states. Debates on legalizing physician-assisted suicide (PAS) have increased dramatically in recent years, however there has been little action taken on state and federal levels that encourage the reform of this social policy. The main reason for this hesitance lies in the question of whether or not physician-assisted suicide should be regarded as morally acceptable. Many argue that legalizing PAS can bear lasting social effects, but surely the same can be true if our nation continues to deny an individual’s right to autonomy and self-determination.

Assisted suicide laws, otherwise known as Death with Dignity and right to die laws, are both controversial and largely discussed in state legislatures across the United States. These laws permit patients with a terminal illness to either commit or have assistance in committing suicide through a medical process. Due to the influence of changing public opinion, the increase in the passage of state laws, and the advocacy of prominent public figures, support for assisted suicide laws has increased in the United States since Oregon set the precedent with the passage of its state law in 1997.

133 million Americans’ lives are drastically changed because of a chronic disease. 45% of United States population will be affected by an incurable, painful, and ongoing disease. As time goes on, the number will only increase. In fact by 2020, that number is estimated to increase to an estimated 157 million (Chronic). If euthanasia was legalized, people affected by chronic diseases would be able to die with dignity and peacefully. “Euthanasia, from the Greek for “good death,” is the intentional ending of a human life either by giving the person lethal drugs or by purposefully withholding life-saving treatment”(Cockeram). In terms of terminally ill patients, euthanasia should be legalized because the patient has the right to die peacefully and without enduring pain

The word euthanasia in Greek translates to ‘eu’, which transcribes to good, and ‘Thanatos’ meaning death, together it means ‘good death.’ Euthanasia also known as assisted suicide or assisted dying, is the process of assisting a person in committing suicide in order to relive their suffering. This can be involuntary or voluntary as some patients are not able to make the decision for themselves. For example a patient who is comatose cannot make this type of decision so it would probably fall on a power of attorney, family member, or a living will previously written by the patient. Assisted suicide is a growing issue because people have different opinions on whether suicide, specifically this type of suicide is morally correct. This act is illegal today in the majority of the United States and only certain places have legalized it. More and more debates continue to arise involving the issue, as a larger amount of people want to make it legal in the United States. Euthanasia can be enacted by either a patient being prescribed a medication to die or they can be given a lethal injection by a specific doctor. The idea of assisted suicide has been controversial since 500 BC; it is believed ancient Greeks and Romans supported euthanasia so the issues has been around for a lengthy amount of time. It is important for people to be informed about this issue before making a decision on where they stand. Today, there is a lot of controversy about euthanasia, however, helping people escape

In cases where an individual's quality of life is irreparably diminished by terminal illness, one may seek to end their life with the help of a doctor. This has been a solution for patient suffering in neighboring countries, but there are ethical and legal issues that make it an impractical solution for American healthcare. Considering the results of negative potential of euthanasia practices exposes its flaws, and sheds light on better alternatives. Therefore active euthanasia, not to be confused with physician assisted suicide, should not be legalized in the United States.

Euthanasia is an issue that has been in the center of many heated debates for several years. It is prohibited in all fifty states of the United States under homicide laws and in England with a fourteen year imprisonment, but it is legal in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands (“Euthanasia and Physician”). Euthanasia comes from the ancient Greek word euthanatos, which means easy death. Today, the definition of euthanasia is the direct killing of a person with a disabi¬lity or terminal illness to relieve them of their sufferings. Very often people will call euthanasia mercy killing mainly because the method is to put a person out of their pain (“Euthanasia”). Euthanasia can be done by either taking actions or not providing what is

The atmosphere around the topic of euthanasia and assisted suicide are controversial and bring up images of frail and suffering people screaming for their lives to end. This leaves you with two choices: to listen and end their lives or to alleviate the pain till it is bearable using modern medicine. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the etymology of the word euthanasia derives from Greek, which means “The action of inducing a gentle and easy death.” With this definition in mind I will determine the pros and cons of assisted suicide and euthanasia by using Neil M. Gorsuch's “The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia” and Kathleen Foley's and Herbert Hendin's “The Case against Assisted Suicide” and choose a side. Those who