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Physician Assisted Suicide Research Paper

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Abstract: This paper discusses the medical ethics of Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS). Focusing on the ideas of legal vs illegal, the different views of PAS will both be addressed. While active euthanasia is illegal, passive euthanasia, or allowing natural death, is completely legal everywhere. PAS will help patients end suffering for themselves at the end of their lives, as well as the family's. The price of the drug may be expensive but the price of medical treatments continues to rise. The Hippocratic Oath does not support the aid in ending a life, however it has been changed in the past. Many citizens are afraid that is PAS was considered legal, it would grow into something even more illegal being debated. Also, the religious aspect of the end of life had conflicting views as some believe PAS is ending suffering, a good deed, and other believe PAS is not respecting a human life. PAS is only legal in seven states but has gained the attention of many others and other places around the world. …show more content…

Since 1994, only six additional states and Washington, DC have made PAS legal and many more are considering it. PAS has gained some major attention for debates. Most of the opposition is from a religious standpoint, the slippery slope argument, and disagreement with oaths that doctors take when they receive their medical licenses. Also, this controversial topic gets a lot of attention based on the different names PAS gets. For example, PAS is sometimes called euthanasia but, there are different types of euthanasia that may or may not be legal. Regardless of the name attached, PAS gives terminally ill patients control over their lives, even at the

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