Should Physician Assisted Suicide Be Allowed - 895 Words

Should physicians be allowed to help patients determine the timing and circumstances of their death? The â€Å"right to die† debate is a very sensitive and complex issue in modern culture. While suicide is a legal act in the United States, assisted suicide is not. Opinions on the subject are shaped by countless factors such as ethical issues, social issues, and primarily religious issues. Many people are opposed to the legalization of physician assisted suicide for â€Å"moral† reasons, however, legalization ultimately allows terminally ill people to die with dignity, sustains basic human rights, and supports freedom of religion. A vast majority of the opposing force is against legalization of physician assisted suicide for â€Å"moral† or religious reasons. It is also commonly argued that participating in assisted suicide is incompatible with the physician’s duty as a healer, or that it is unnecessary to legalize it because suicide is already a leading c ause of death in the United States. John Pearson, in his article â€Å"Assisted Suicide is Unnecessary†, states that â€Å"Assisted suicide invites compromise among caregivers or family members who might have economic or otherwise selfish interests in hastening another’s death†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He goes on to mention that it is unlikely that people are capable of making such a decision in the midst of crisis or severe pain. However, those in favor of physician assisted suicide recognize that in some cases the choice to die can be a means of relief for those livingShow MoreRelatedShould Physician Assisted Suicide Be Allowed? All Of The United States? Essay1314 Words   |  6 Pages Should Physician Assisted Suicide be allowed in all of the United States? That is the topic I will be discussing in my paper. Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS), also known as the Die with Dignity Law, can be legally done in five U.S. states. This is a very controversial subject and can get heated in both arguments. People who are against it feel that choosing to end one’s life, even with the aid of a physician, to be disturbing and unethical. Religion also plays a big role, as this practice wouldRead MoreUtilitarian And Virtue Ethics Of Physician Assisted Suicide1314 Words   |  6 PagesPhysician Assisted Suicide Physician assisted suicide or PAS is a controversial topic in the world today. But the important question is, should physician assisted suicides be allowed in cases such as: the patient’s suffering is far too great and there is no chance of them getting better? This is a highly debated issue, that has activist groups on both sides fighting for what they think is the right thing to do. Physician assisted suicides can stop the excruciating pain a patient is in, especiallyRead MoreShould Physician Assisted Suicide Be Legalized?1426 Words   |  6 PagesPhysician assisted suicide is also known as assisted suicide. It is a very controversial procedure. It is not favored by many. However, in present day society is little bit inclined towards assisted suicide. There is ongoing debate on the legalization of assisted suicide. The main reason to oppose of assisted suicide is the fear of mistreatment of the patient, abuse of power and so on. In contrary, many see assisted suicide as a way to decrease pain in the end of life. Read MorePhysician-Assisted Suicide - an Utilitarian Perspective Essay example1476 Words   |  6 PagesPhysician-assisted suicide is â€Å"the voluntary termination of ones own life by administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician. Physician-assisted suicide is the practice of providing a competent patient with a prescription for medication for the patient to use with the primary intention of ending his or her own life† (MedicineNet.com, 2004). Many times this ethical issue arises when a terminally-ill patient with and incurable illness, whom is given littleRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?1536 Words   |  7 Pagesacquired immunodeficiency syndrome (Back et al. 919). This study also uncovered that â€Å"the patient concerns most often perceived by physicians were worries about loss of control, being a burden, being dependent on others for personal care, and loss of dignity† (Back et al. 919). Although some argue t hat euthanasia is the best way to die for terminally-ill patients, it should be banned because its regulation will yield complex and unwelcome ramifications. Euthanasia has a very complex and extensive historyRead MoreThe Euthanasia Is The Act Of Ending One s Own Life1530 Words   |  7 Pagesand suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition. Euthanasia is different from physician assisted suicide in that with euthanasia, the doctor is the one who provides and administers the life ending drugs, and in physician assisted suicide, the doctor can only provide the drugs. A big difference between the two is that euthanasia is illegal in all states; while, physician assisted suicide is legal in only five states in America. Having the option to end one’s own life when the painRead MoreDoctor-Assisted Suicide Essay928 Words   |  4 Pagesseeking physician-assisted suicide or deciding to live with a terminal illness. It is not everyday a person sits around and think about what they would do if an illness became unbearable to them. One could agree with Diane Coleman’s article â€Å"Doctor-Assisted Suicide Should Not Be an Option† or one could agree with Kathryn Tucker’s article â€Å"People Should Be Allowed To Choose Doctor-Assisted Suicide.† To better understand the authors’ opposing positions concerning physician-assisted suicide, one mustRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide And The Rights Of Patients1523 Words   |  7 PagesPhysician-assisted suicide needs to be recognized by the federal government to show terminally ill patients that their right to autonomy is not being ignored. The Bill of Rights of Patients was constructed to outline just this. According to the American Cancer Society, â€Å"the American Hospital Association drafted a Patients’ Bill of Rights to inform patients of what they could reasonably expect while in the hospital.† One of the notes stated in the Bill of Rights of Patients is the right to autonomyRead MoreShould Physician Assisted Suicide Be Legal?761 Words   |  4 Pages We Should be in Favor of Physician-assisted Suici de In a momentous decision released February 6, 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Physician-assisted suicide will be legal in Canada within 12 months. This deci-sion has caused a myriad of controversy. Opponents of physician-assisted suicide argue that the constitution recognizes the sanctity of life and no one has the right to end the life of another person’s. Supporters, on the other hand, argue that patients who experience constantRead MoreThe Ethical Responsibility Of Assisted Suicide1274 Words   |  6 PagesMerriam- Webster, physician assisted suicide is: â€Å"suicide by a patient facilitated by means or information (as a drug prescription or indication of the lethal dosage) provided by a physician aware of the patient’s intent.† Implicit in the term suicide, is that life has been prematurely ended due to desperation and hopelessness. However, in most cases Behuniak Svenson (2003) argue that suicide is mostly performed under unstable ment al conditions of the patient and therefore any suicide be stopped due