Physician Assisted Suicide
Physician-Assisted Suicide
An estimated 40-70% of patients die in pain, another 50-60% die feeling short-of-breath. “The way I see it; our greatest prejudice is against death. It spans age, gender and race. We spend immeasurable amounts of energy fighting an event that will eventually triumph. Though it is noble not to give in easily, the most alive people I’ve ever met are those who embrace their death. They love, laugh and live more fully.” …by Andy Webster, Hospice Chaplain in Plymouth, Michigan.
Should Physician-Assisted suicide be legal? What do you think? Some believe that PAS demeans the human life – that PAS would violate doctors’ Hippocratic oaths. Many religions prohibit suicide and the intentional killings of others. Even though PAS would violate doctors ' oaths, I believe physician-assisted suicide should be legalized. Vital organs could be saved and used allowing doctors to save the lives of others, people could die with dignity rather than endure tremendous pain and suffering, and the right to die should be a fundamental freedom of each person. Physician-assisted suicide is the voluntary termination of one 's own life by administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician (medicinenet.com). Physician-assisted suicide is often abbreviated PAS. In the U.S., only the States of Montana, Washington and Oregon allows physician-assisted suicide. Known as the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, in Oregon, competent terminally ill state residents, likely to die within 6 months can receive prescriptions for self-administered lethal medications from their physicians. This act does not permit euthanasia, in which a physician or other person directly administers a lethal dose of medication to the patient. A relatively very small number of people seek lethal drugs under the law and even fewer people actually used them. Many patients have said that what they want most is a choice
An estimated 40-70% of patients die in pain, another 50-60% die feeling short-of-breath. “The way I see it; our greatest prejudice is against death. It spans age, gender and race. We spend immeasurable amounts of energy fighting an event that will eventually triumph. Though it is noble not to give in easily, the most alive people I’ve ever met are those who embrace their death. They love, laugh and live more fully.” …by Andy Webster, Hospice Chaplain in Plymouth, Michigan.
Should Physician-Assisted suicide be legal? What do you think? Some believe that PAS demeans the human life – that PAS would violate doctors’ Hippocratic oaths. Many religions prohibit suicide and the intentional killings of others. Even though PAS would violate doctors ' oaths, I believe physician-assisted suicide should be legalized. Vital organs could be saved and used allowing doctors to save the lives of others, people could die with dignity rather than endure tremendous pain and suffering, and the right to die should be a fundamental freedom of each person. Physician-assisted suicide is the voluntary termination of one 's own life by administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician (medicinenet.com). Physician-assisted suicide is often abbreviated PAS. In the U.S., only the States of Montana, Washington and Oregon allows physician-assisted suicide. Known as the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, in Oregon, competent terminally ill state residents, likely to die within 6 months can receive prescriptions for self-administered lethal medications from their physicians. This act does not permit euthanasia, in which a physician or other person directly administers a lethal dose of medication to the patient. A relatively very small number of people seek lethal drugs under the law and even fewer people actually used them. Many patients have said that what they want most is a choice
References: United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), available online at www.unos.org. Retrieved November 14, 2011 from http://www.ahc.umn.edu/img/assets/26104/End_of_Life.pdf Jennings B Kelley Bouchard. (7 August). End-of-life rights crusader dies at 91.McClatchy - Tribune Business News, Retrieved October 24, 2011, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 2418823051). Kelley Bouchard. (10 July). Choosing when to go. McClatchy - Tribune Business News, Retrieved October 24, 2011, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 2394956121). Smith, P., & Boal, J.. (2009). PULLING THE SHEET BACK DOWN: A RESPONSE TO BATTIN ONTHE PRACTICE OF TERMINAL SEDATION. Ethics & Medicine, 25. Retrieved October 24, 2011, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1857284711). Steinhauser KE, Clipp EC, McNeilly M, et al. In search of a good death: observations of patients, families, and providers. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2000 Steinhauser KE, Christakis NA, Clipp EC, et al