The Pros And Cons Of Physician Assisted Suicide

Do terminally ill patients have a right to die with the assistance of a physician? – Pros

Physician assisted suicide was brought to mainstream attention in the 1990’s due to Dr. Kevorkian’s “suicide machine," who claims to have assisted over 100 suicide deaths of terminally ill patients with Alzheimer’s disease (Dickinson, p. 8). In the early 1990’s, for the first time in United States history the issue was brought to the voting polls in California, Washington, and Oregon (Dickinson, p. 9). The bill was passed in Oregon; legally allowing physicians to facilitate death of the terminally ill, but voters fails to pass the bill in Washington and California (Dickinson, p. 9). In 2008 voters in Washington State passed the Washington Death with Dignity Act (Dickinson, p. 277). Today

According to a poll in 2015, 68% of United States residents believe that physician assisted suicide should be legal (“In”). Physician assisted suicide (PAS) gives terminally ill patients a way to end their lives peacefully before they die from whatever terminal illness they have. If physician assisted suicide became legal, many people would be saved from pain and anguish. On top of that, ill people could retain some power and control over their life. And though bringing money into the discussion might be crude, assisted suicide can save millions. Physician assisted suicide should be legal in order to ensure a dignified death for terminally ill patients.

Physician-assisted suicide devalues human life. First, PAS is against the laws of something called nature. Second, PAS debate is not new today. It had been debated long time ago in the world before World War Two. According to 30 Logical Reasons Against Assisted Suicide: “The first Nazi victims were terminally ill people.” They were called “useless eaters” (Clair). Those who are terminally ill are looked down upon and considered as a great burden on society, therefore there was no reason for them to live. It is also not right with the long-term illness wishes to terminate their life as soon as possible. Not long ago, near where I lived there was with a man serious cancer. After six months of treatment in hospital, the doctors said patients will

Physician-assisted suicide is a controversial subject all around the world. Although it is legal in some countries and states, such as the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Oregon, Montana, Washington, and Vermont it is not yet legal in most (Finlay, 2011). People travel from all around the world to these locations to receive information. Physician-assisted suicide is when terminally ill and mentally capable patients perform the final act themselves after being provided with the required means and information. The elemental causes found for physician-assisted suicide include: terminal cancer, mental and behavioral disorders, diseases of the nervous system, disease of the circulatory system, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system

Many people in the world are suffering from illness that cannot be cured. They live their last days in pain and suffering wondering when and why it happened to them. Instead of suffering, many people dream of suicide to take their pain away but they know no one would understand. In very few states, it is legal for people to get assistance to put them out of their pain and suffering. It is called assisted suicide. Assisted suicide is the help from a physician to end their patients’ lives with their permission. The patient must have a terminal illness with less than six months to live to qualify. Many people are against assisted suicide because they believe that it is just a cover for murder. People should be thought of as dying with dignity

There are many arguments in favor of Physician Assisted Suicide. Many illnesses like certain types of cancer, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS may result in slow agonizing deaths. Many patients decide to use physician-assisted death because it relieves them from a tremendous amount of pain and suffering. A patient knowing that they’re going to die and that the pain is only going to get worse causes them to choose this decision. There’s no reason in letting a human suffer until they finally give out. “When death is the only way to relieve suffering, and inevitable regardless, why not allow it to come in the most humane and dignified way possible?” (Bender 21). Another pro is that health care costs are reduced. Medical care

The basics of physician assisted suicide, ethical dilemmas associated with it, the requirements for it, and alternative options that a patient has available to them if one chooses not to go with physician assisted suicide. Briefly touches on the ongoing debate, the reasons for or against physician assisted suicide. States the requirements for the prescription for the assisted suicide. There’s a 15 day waiting period, must be 18 years of age, and must be mentally sound and able to take the life ending medication themselves. The American Nurses Association does not allow nurses to assist with physician-assisted suicide. Patients should be given all the information needed to make the decision that will put their death back in their hands.

There is so much controversy about physician assisted suicide. There is even controversy about the wording itself. Some call it physician assisted suicide, while others refuse to use the word suicide at all, in correlation to the meaning of this subject, which I will discuss later. There are a few different ways to say it, but all mean basically the exact same thing; death with dignity, end of life option, aid in dying, and the right to die. No one wants to die. But the harsh reality is that when a person is diagnosed with a terminal illness, it is a life changing diagnosis, literally. No one likes the idea of dying, no matter how it is phrased, maybe the reason it is so terrifying is none of us have ever died before to talk about it,

Physician assisted suicide is referred to as the act that defines the prescription of having drug

Those against physician-assisted suicide believe that legally banning the right to die is probable and needed. It is a law that cannot have enough regulations that will protect all patients because loop holes can lead to abuse, privacy, and the actual choice of death. This is described by, “…a legal ban on physician-assisted suicide is constitutionally permissible in light of the state’s legitimate and weighty interests in preventing abuse, protecting patient autonomy, and avoiding involuntary death” (Sunstein 1124). This abuse can be viewed that the poor minorities would be heavily hit by the use of physician-assisted suicide because of their lack of money and representation. These loop holes can be managed though. Being specific in the law

Oregon, the first state to legalize PAS in 1997, passed the Death with Dignity Act (DWDA) which allowed patients to end their life by taking a lethal dose of a medication prescribed by a physician. In the article, “The Case for Physician Assisted Suicide: How Can It Possiblye Be Proven?,” the authors, E. Dahl and N. Levy, state that the proponents of PAS believe that there have been several reports of terminally ill patients abusing the DWDA which can be caused by mental illnesses or depression. Due to the possibility of physicians abusing the right to prescribe terminally ill patients lethal doses of a medication, many doubt whether physicians should play a large role in the process of PAS. In the article, “Should Psychiatrists Serve as

In today’s society, suicide, and more controversially, physician assisted suicide, is a hotly debated topic amongst both every day citizens and members of the medical community. The controversial nature of the subject opens up the conversation to scrutinizing the ethics involved. Who can draw the line between morality and immorality on such a delicate subject, between lessening the suffering of a loved one and murder? Is there a moral dissimilarity between letting someone die under your care and killing them? Assuming that PAS suicide is legal under certain circumstances, how stringent need be these circumstances? The patient must be terminally ill to qualify for voluntary physician-assisted suicide, but in the eyes of the non-terminal patients with no physical means to end their life, the ending of their pain through PAS may be worth their death; at what point is the medical staff disregarding a patient’s autonomy? Due to the variability of answers to these questions, the debate over physician-assisted suicide is far from over. However, real life occurrences happen every day outside the realm of debate and rhetoric, and decisions need to be made.

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

Disabled and sick patients can feel as though they are being a burden, or they want to be rid of, if they are given the option of assisted suicide. Yes, the opposing side says that the patient should have a choice and will already feel like a burden to begin with. However, when faced with the proposition of a pill that could solve all your problems, won’t the patient almost feel a sort of peer pressure? Now that they have these pills, why not use them?