The Pros And Cons Of Assisted Suicide

“The real reason for not committing suicide is because you always know how well life gets again after the hell is over.” People are unable to realize how their situation can be resolved better than having to kill themselves. Terminally ill patients are notorious for taking their lives before they can realize the mistake they are making. They believe that it is best for their situation, however, there are multiple reasons for why they should reconsider their actions before something terrible happens. Doctor assisted suicides should not be allowed because of the effects it has on the deceased loved ones and how more terminally ill patients are overcoming their disabilities.

Running Header: Ethical Reasonings Ethical Reasonings for the Legalization of Physician Assisted Suicide The moral issue of whether or not Physician Assisted Suicide(PAS) should be allowed has been widely vocalized and debated throughout the world. Physician Assisted Suicide is an important issue because it concerns the fundamental morals of one 's life. There are a variety of opinions readily discussed about this issue. Most standpoints on this topic have to do with freedom.

Physician-assisted suicide for psychiatric patients has become a highly debated ethical issue. In the United States, only a handful of states allow for assisted death (“Physician-Assisted Suicide Fast Facts”). Growing awareness for mental health has stirred conversation about whether physician-assisted suicide should be extended to individuals with severe mental illness. For physicians, the ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice are in direct conflict with autonomy. Does the idea of “do no harm” outweigh the potential emotional benefit patients receive from choosing to no longer suffer from their mental illness?

Physician assisted suicide is by far one of the most controversial topics that has arose in the last decade. As such, there are many moral and ethical arguments both for and against the act of physician assisted suicide. Because of this, it is important to explore in detail the arguments made both in favor and against physician assisted suicide so that one can better grasp what exactly this sort of act entails. In his book “Understanding Assisted Suicide: Nine Issues to Consider”, Seattle University School of Law professor John B. Mitchell highlights many key points of why physician assisted suicide should be legalized.

The recent legislative advancements concerning physician-assisted suicide have unveiled a series of controversial arguments regarding the right to die. As told by The Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health, “Assisted Suicide is a form of self-inflicted death in which individuals voluntarily bring about their own death with the help of another, usually a physician, relative, or friend. Assisted suicide is sometimes called physician-assisted death or PAD” (Frey 915). Four U.S. states now have legalized the practice of assisted suicide and other countries across the world are successfully making headway in their push for physician-assisted suicide.

I believe that Physician-assisted suicide should be legal in the United States for many reasons. I don’t believe in letting people live in pain and suffer. I think the option should be open to every terminally ill person in America. The option should always be there for people as it is for animals. One major code of ethics in the medical field is that a physician shall exercise his/her independent professional judgement and I think that should apply to this.

Since Oregon legalized physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill in 1997, euthanasia has been receiving close attention. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, euthanasia is the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering. Many states in the U.S have been debating the pros and cons of euthanasia with hopes of legalizing it or having it remain illegal. Advocates for assisted suicide believe those who are mentally competent and suffering from a terminal illness, with no chance of long-term survival, should have the right the end their suffering. They argue if people here legally able to refuse medical treatment they should also have the freedom the end their lives in a quick,

Physician assisted suicide, although legal in some states, should remain illegal because it goes against religious and moral beliefs. “In physician assisted suicide, the physician provides the necessary means or information and the patient performs the act” (Endlink). Supporters of assisted-suicide laws believe that mentally competent people who are in misery and have no chance of long-term survival, should have the right to die if and when they choose. I agree that people should have the right to refuse life-saving treatments, written in the patient bill of rights.

The debate over whether or not physician-assisted suicide should be a legal option for dying patients has long been a topic for discussion amongst members of the medical community. There are pros and cons for each argument, however, at the center of this debate is the consideration of patient advocacy and well-being. Although every health care profession centers their profession around providing the best ethical care for the patient, the most important value to consider are the decisions the patient makes for themselves. Currently, patients are given many safeguards such as living wills, a durable power of attorney, and the option for do not resuscitate that act as guidelines for end of life treatment. Physician-assisted suicide

Milan Kundera once said “dogs do not have many advantages over people, but one of them is extremely important: euthanasia is not forbidden by law in their case; animals have the right to a merciful death.” ( The Unbearable Lightness of Being ) You’re visiting your grandfather at a Hospice for the twentieth day in a row. Your grandfathers lung cancer has entered metastasis, it has been slowly spreading through out his body, he just recently lost most movement in his legs. He is now a hollow shell of the man that he used to be, the color in his eyes dull steadily every day, and now his high-spirited attitude has vanished.

Why physician assisted suicide should be illegal : • Assisted suicide should be illegal because individual is not really asking doctor for assisted suicide out of his/her free will. Person is forced to choose suicide because big business misleads people into unhealthy life styles of eating junk foods and careless smokings with there fancy TV commercials and other media outlets. They tell them to follow flashy lifestyles mindlessly and carelessly. Eventually this kind of persuasion makes them sick and they cannot think straight for themselves, people cannot decide what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is bad for them. Govt. finds it easy to inject them with 35 dollar suicide injection instead of curing them with

“If you oppose physician-assisted suicide, first try to walk a mile in the shoes of those to whom you would deny this choice” (Fensterman 825). People should understand the severe pain their loved ones are going through, and that they want to have a good quality of life without being unrecognized with the change, and have the right to be able to choose their own death. It’s really hard for them to keep living with horrible pain, and not be able to do something because of their physical condition, but if people were to support their own decision, they can die in peace, without having to deteriorate slowly

In the defense of Physician Assisted Suicide, a wide publicly talked about topic, it should be a choice every terminally ill patient receives. Physician Assisted suicide is when a patient is terminally ill and has no chances of recovering. The patient themselves can make the decision, with the help from their physician, to get lethally injected and end their life reducing and ending the pain. In America each state has a little over 3,000 patients that are terminally ill contact an advocacy group known as the Compassion and Choices to try to reduce end-of- life suffering and perhaps hasten their death. Physician Assisted Suicide shouldn’t be looked at as suicide, but as ending the pain and suffering from an individual whose life is going to be taken away anyway.

Assisted suicide is only legal in several states so far. These states includes: Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. One other state that is debating rather they should allow assisted suicide is New Jersey. How has assisted suicide become debatable in the United States? Amongst the many people that thought that assisted suicide should be forbidden due to them violating and going against religion, others believed that they should be allowed to choose what they would do with their ongoing lives.

Those that oppose assisted suicide say that it is morally wrong and we do not value life the way we should. There will be a misuse of assisted death. They believe there will be no control over the issue. This is considered a form of active killing and we need assistance in dying that will protect dignity, mitigate fear, and hospice