preview

Pro Assisted Suicide Research Paper

Good Essays

Mia, a widow of the age of thirty-eight, knew something was wrong when her doctor, not the nurse practitioner, called her to set up an appointment for later in the week. The day of her appointment had arrived and she walked into the room that smelt of cleaner and sadness. The mere minutes she was alone her mind began to race with fear and anticipation. Once her the doctor closed the door behind him, her world froze. He was holding a clipboard that could hold one of two things, a death certificate or the greatest news she has ever heard. When the doctor began to apologize with a voice laced with pity she discovered which it was… The cat scan results had returned and it was not good, the cat scan showed that she has stage four pancreatic cancer …show more content…

Though assisted suicide is a humane way to end human suffering, it is still illegal in most US states (ProQuest Staff). Assisted suicide has created many ripples and tears in state governments all over the united states. Oregon legislature began to take action in passing a law called measure 16 or “The Oregon Death with Dignity Act” to make assisted suicide legal in the late 90’s (ProQuest Staff). After Oregon had passed the laws the US government got involved issuing a temporary restraining order and an injunction barring the state from putting Measure 16 into effect (ProQuest Staff). Two years later Oregon residents gain the right to end their lives if they have a terminal illness (ProQuest Staff). Oregon’s law on assisted suicide is there but is very precise as to when and how one can end their life. Patients wanting to obtain a lethal prescription must first, have a serious and incurable illness, and secondly requests for lethal medication must be made no more than six months from death (Wente). After Oregon complications with passing their Death with Dignity Act other states soon began to follow creating their own laws on assisted suicide. The second state in the US to pass these laws was Washington, they passed their version of the act in 2008. After Washington, Montana soon followed in 2010 becoming the third state to pass legislature approving assisted suicide. …show more content…

These opponents have a lot of arguments against assisted suicide. The first point that people against assisted suicide make are, that assisted suicide is morally and ethically wrong (ProQuest Staff). They believe that physicians cannot be involved in ending a patient’s life because of their pledge to do no harm in the Hippocratic oath (Zamichow). Though they did pledge to do no harm proponents will argue that letting the patient suffer through the disease causes harm which goes against the pledge. So should physicians let the patient suffer until they die, or end the suffering peacefully and humanely? Opponents also believe that legalizing assisted suicide could create a shockwave effect over our entire society (Kheriaty). Included in this shockwave would be an overall increase in suicide rates (Kheriaty). A study was conducted in Britain showed that after legalizing assisted suicide, suicide rates went up 6.3 percent from original averages (Kheriaty). Proponents counter this point with the fact that assisted suicide is not at fault for this increase and that assisted suicide affects only those individuals who are making a rational and deliberate choice (Kheriaty). Opponents also say that if assisted suicide is legalized everyone including people against it will be pushed in to accepting and even administering lethal drugs

Get Access