Assisted Suicide
Assisted Suicide (Euthanasia)
There probably isn’t one person that can say that they haven’t watched somebody they love in some way suffer from and ultimately die from some sort of unfortunate disease. Assisted suicide is a very controversial topic in the United States. Physician assisted suicide is defined as suicide committed by a terminally ill person with help from another person. This subject causes many controversies of ethical and moral issues. Some of these issues are that it violates the doctors Hippocratic Oath, suicide is ruled wrong in many religions, and some even say it degrades the value of human life. However, physician assisted suicide should be legalized because it offers terminally ill people an opportunity for a peaceful death and allows a terminally ill patient to die with dignity. Physician assisted suicide was first popularized in 1998 with the arrest of Dr. Kevorkian, whom aided in the deaths of over 130 terminally ill patients through assisted suicide (McHugh). Since popularized in 1998 assisted suicide for the terminally ill has been legalized in five U.S. states: New Mexico, Vermont, Montana, Oregon and Washington (euthanasia.procon.org). Assisted Suicide is the procedure of getting a physician to assist you in ending your life because of having a terminal disease that is causing suffering and despair on you and all those around you. The actual procedure consist of: first a person would need to make a "formal oral request to the physician, 15 days later, you need to make another oral request.” The doctor still won't be able to prescribe lethal drugs until you file a written request form signed by two witnesses. The doctor will then go over any alternative measures like hospice care, advice patients to confer with their family or next of kin, and remind them that it's ok to change their mind at any time. Two days after receiving a written request a doctor can prescribe lethal drugs, but under no circumstances can she administer them
There probably isn’t one person that can say that they haven’t watched somebody they love in some way suffer from and ultimately die from some sort of unfortunate disease. Assisted suicide is a very controversial topic in the United States. Physician assisted suicide is defined as suicide committed by a terminally ill person with help from another person. This subject causes many controversies of ethical and moral issues. Some of these issues are that it violates the doctors Hippocratic Oath, suicide is ruled wrong in many religions, and some even say it degrades the value of human life. However, physician assisted suicide should be legalized because it offers terminally ill people an opportunity for a peaceful death and allows a terminally ill patient to die with dignity. Physician assisted suicide was first popularized in 1998 with the arrest of Dr. Kevorkian, whom aided in the deaths of over 130 terminally ill patients through assisted suicide (McHugh). Since popularized in 1998 assisted suicide for the terminally ill has been legalized in five U.S. states: New Mexico, Vermont, Montana, Oregon and Washington (euthanasia.procon.org). Assisted Suicide is the procedure of getting a physician to assist you in ending your life because of having a terminal disease that is causing suffering and despair on you and all those around you. The actual procedure consist of: first a person would need to make a "formal oral request to the physician, 15 days later, you need to make another oral request.” The doctor still won't be able to prescribe lethal drugs until you file a written request form signed by two witnesses. The doctor will then go over any alternative measures like hospice care, advice patients to confer with their family or next of kin, and remind them that it's ok to change their mind at any time. Two days after receiving a written request a doctor can prescribe lethal drugs, but under no circumstances can she administer them
Cited: State-by-State Guide to Physician-Assisted Suicide Euthanasia Pros and Cons. Web. April 17, 2014 Euthanasia.procon.org State-by-State Guide to Physician-Assisted Suicide Fass, Jennifer and Fass, Andrea Physician-assisted Suicide, Ongoing Challenges for Pharmacists. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2011; 68(9):846-849. Sanders, Peter. “Euthanasia-What does the bible say?” Web. September 2013 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp?context=article&id=26093 D Ngai. Turning Off the Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator to Prevent Pre-Death Electrical Shocks: An Exercise and Right in the Refusal of Medical Treatment. The Internet Journal of Law, Healthcare and Ethics. 2010 Volume 7 Number 1. Nixon Dr. The patient has a right to decide when and how to die! Web. October 4, 2009 http://pulltheplugonlife.wordpress.com/