Pros And Cons Of Physician Assisted Suicide In The United States

(Death and Dignity laws, 2017). Assisted suicide is legalized in 6 states and they allow that in Oregon, Vermont, Washington , California, Colorado and The District of Columbia.You have to be 18 years or older to go through this process.You also have to be a resident of one of these states that allow it. If you have a sickness of a disease you would have a choice to do this only if you're 18 years or older. Since you have to be 18 and older you can choose and say well he or she is taking these prescriptions and they are not helping at all. There are some cases with patients that need this but if you have a disease or dementia then you can go through with the process. Dementia is when you are thinking and there could have been a moment where you saw someone die and that means when you see someone die that your mind flashes back to that memory and it's also memory loss. There could be some patients who might be taking prescriptions for their pain but they get addicted. They may think of getting assisted suicide and talking to their doctor or physician about the problem.

Assisted suicide is the suicide of a terminally- ill patient, achieved by using a prescribed drug from a doctor for that specific purpose. It is legal in only six states in the United States of America including: Oregon, Montana, Washington, Colorado, Vermont, and California. Countries such as Germany, Japan, and Switzerland have legalized assisted suicide in past years. It has been disputed for many years and continues to be a controversial issue whether physicians should be authorized to end an individual’s life with their prescription and if this should be done legally.

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

Aside from the most prominent arguments that are used in the debate against physician-assisted suicide, the here and now, we need to look into the future and see how the choices made now will ultimately affect the rest of society. As of right now the only people who are requesting an assisted suicide are those that are considered competent and ‘terminally ill.’ According to Investopedia, terminally ill is defined as “a person who is sick and is diagnosed with a disease that will take their life. This person is usually told by doctors that they only have several months or years to live.” Knowing that one only has a short amount of time left on this earth and fearing that they will be nothing but a burden for their family to deal with they will most likely request for an

Instead of calling physician-assisted suicide what it actually is, its supporters would rather call it “Death with Dignity.” Such an act can be found in five states including Oregon, Washington, Vermont, California, and Montana. The difference between Montana and the other four states is that it is only legally allowed on a case-by-case basis (Death with Dignity). The first time the Death with Dignity Act took effect was in

There is much controversy in many medical choices that one can make. The controversy can be distinguished by religious boundaries, whether the choice or decision is moral or ethical, if the choice contradicts the Hippocratic Oath, or it could be any combination of the mentioned. One topic that holds all controversies mentioned is physician-assisted suicide. Physician-assisted suicide has many reasons why it should not be allowed. However, there are many more reasons that argue why physician-assisted suicide is beneficial and worth fighting to make it legal in every state, and eventually legal worldwide.

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines “physician assisted suicide as a suicide by a patient facilitated by means or information (as a drug prescription or indication of the lethal dosage) provided by a physician who is aware of how the patient intends to use such means or information.” The physician provides necessary information about drugs and patient performs the act of suicide. Letting someone die requires justification and involves personal as well as social concerns. The federal government does not have any law on the assisted suicide, since enactment of regulation of people and institution in the medical profession are managed at state level (Clarke, concept 3, slide 35, bullet 1). Oregan became the first US state to enact PAS in 1994 by passing Death and Dignity Act. Three other states Montana, Vermont, and Washington have similar Acts in effect. California has just signed End of Life Option Act in October2015, and the law will be in effect by 2016.

Currently physician assisted suicide is legal by state law in four states, Washington, Vermont, Oregon and lastly California (CNN PAS). Under different circumstances, legalization doesn't stop there. By court approval in 2008 Montana has jumped on board to legalize PAS (CNN PAS). In each state there are different rules and regulations to receive the drug. CNN discusses how all five states have one thing in common, that being the drug has to be prescribed by a doctor meaning an MD or a DO.

As Stephen Hawking said, “ We dont let animals suffer, so why humans?”. When a dying animal is brought to a veterinarian, the veterinarian will determine if they are able to save the animals. If they are not able to treat the animal, the animal is put down so that it does not have to suffer until it dies. When a dying human is brought to a doctor and the doctor determines that the human is not treatable, the human is forced to suffer until he/she dies. Physician assisted suicide is a way to allow dying people to choose to end their suffering. The patient must be diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to death within 6 months, 18 or older, deemed mentally competent, and two physicians must agree that these criterias have been met.

Physician-assisted suicide is a very controversial topic. Many people feel very strongly about letting people have free will and others feel very strongly about showing these people compassion instead of the help of ending their life (Cable News Network (CNN) 2015). Currently the United States has three states that legalized physician assisted suicide. These three states include Oregon, Washington, and Vermont (Cable News Network (CNN) 2015). All three of these states allow a competent adult who has a terminal illness to choose to end their life with the help of a physician (Death with Dignirty National Center 2015). The people who qualify for this must have at least six months or less to live (Cable News Network (CNN) 2015).

Throughout history people have both shared common perspectives, as well as had opposing views on certain issues. The definition of physician- assisted suicide (PAS) is “the voluntary termination of one's own life by administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician” (merriam-webster.com 1). In other words, it’s providing a capable patient with a prescription of medication to use with the intention of ending his or her own life. Many would agree that it is up to the individual enduring a painful sickness to decide whether or not they should be able to pass away peacefully.

It’s the person’s decision. Normally a patient won’t go to the physician to request physician assisted suicide, unless they have had discussed it with their family. Most advocates of legalizing physician assisted suicide generally tend to be viewed or view the families relationship to use as safeguards so no one can abuse its

In 1997 Oregon passed the Physical Assisted Suicide (PAS) called the Death with Dignity. PAS would provide terminal ill patients who desired to end their life with access to a lethal dose of medication. In order for a patient to get access to the lethal dose of medicine in Oregon: they must be 18 years or older, able to understand, verbalize the consequences, and be a resident of the state. Terminal ill patients have been medically diagnosed of living six month or less. If a patient in Oregon wants to commit suicide there would be a 15-day waiting period between the doctor’s agreement and the issuance of the prescription (The Times). PAS is not only legal in Oregon, but also in Washington, Vermont, New Mexico, and Montana. More than 70% of Californians support the legalization of PAS and no bill has been introduced since 2007. American culture has been emphasized that citizens of the United States have the rights and freedoms to make personal decisions. PAS needs to be legalized in California so terminally ill patients suffering from physical and emotional pain legally end their life.

For the many people who feel that they should have a choice in whether they should stay alive, so many reasons why they want to legalize it. Majority of people don't want to suffer from their illness or they fear of dying alone. Some also fear being a burden on their family or friends or even losing their own autonomy. A physician has the hardest job working with these patients, he is asked to help a patient into death with medicine. There most responsible for proving that they qualify for an assisted death as well the prescribing process and giving them the lethal dose of medicine. On the other side of the field, those against physician assisted believe it goes against their belief and faith in their religion. Surprisingly many others think

Physician assisted suicide, the suicide of a patient suffering from an incurable disease, effected by the taking of lethal drugs provided by a doctor for this purpose. The question of whether or not this practice should be made legal in the United States has been one of controversy since 1997. Beginning with the case of Washington v. Glucksberg, where the United States Supreme Court ruled that the matter of the constitutionality of a right to a physician’s aid in dying, was best left up to the states. Then gaining even more controversy when Oregon passed the Death with Dignity Act, which allowed terminally-ill Oregonians to end their lives by the practice of physician assisted suicide. (CNN.com) Proponents of physician assisted suicide