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Benefits of Physician-Assisted Suicide

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Benefits of Physician-Assisted Suicide
Benefits of Physician-Assisted Suicide

Physician-assisted suicide, also known as PAS, gives patients in critical medical conditions the right to end their lives. Physician-assisted suicide is currently legal in three American states, which are Oregon, Washington, and Montana. Morrow informs, “Between 1994 and 2006, there were 75 legislative bills to legalize PAS in 21 states and all of them failed” (1). Patients suffering from chronic illness often contemplate suicide, because the pain and suffering may just be never ending. Some believe that trust between a doctor and patient would be broken, knowing that the doctor and kill their patient. Although in reality it should create a stronger trust, and a sense of security. Patients would not be sitting around in bed wondering when or how their doctors are going to kill them. It’s every person’s own freedom and shouldn’t be taken away from them. Patients in critical condition should choose whether or not to take their own lives and put an end to their suffering via physician-assisted suicide.

Whether or not PAS is legal, if a patient wants to die they will find a way. Why should one wait until they jump out the window or shoot themselves in the head? It’s just a messy way to end a life and may be considered premature, since some patients wish to commit suicide while they are still able to. Knowing that they have the right to end their lives would reduce incidents like these. No family members would like to come visit their relative and find them in their death bed through a messy suicide. When a patient is in the hospital, they are not the only ones suffering, it’s also their family

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members. They should have the chance to say peaceful goodbyes to their loved ones.

As well as health care costs can be extremely expensive. Messerli says “It is not unheard of for medical costs to equal $50,000 to $100,000 to keep some patients alive” (2). Most people would like to leave some

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