The word Euthanasia derives from the Greek words Eu and Thanatos which means easy or good death. Euthanasia is is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma[1]. Euthanasia exists in various forms, each one specific in its criteria. Firstly there is active and passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia involves the use of direct action in order to end the patient’s life whilst passive euthanasia is the withholding of medical aid in order to allow the patient to die naturally such as not performing life-extending surgery or turning off a life support system. The next distinction is between Voluntary and Involuntary euthanasia. Voluntary euthanasia involves the patient’s termination at their own request whilst involuntary euthanasia occurs when the patient is unable to ably make a decision and therefore a suitable person makes the decision for them. Indirect euthanasia involves treating the patients pain but with the side effect of death, the primary intention is often used to justify the outcome. This is often referred to as the doctrine of double effect and in reality is not considered euthanasia given that the real purpose of the treatment is pain relief and death is merely seen as the side-affect. Finally there is assisted suicide which involves a patient incapable of committing suicide themselves asks for assistance in doing so. Euthanasia is a controversial topic that contradicts the age old moral injunction “thou shalt not kill”[2]. But similarly denying patient’s of this choice is defying medical practice cornerstones such as the patient’s autonomy and promoting their best interests. Different countries hold varying stances on Euthanasia but it is currently illegal in the UK. Most recently the case of Tony Nicklinson, a man totally paralysed by locked-in syndrome requesting euthanasia, has come to the forefront of the debate. Given the right to take his case to…
their own life and what they want to do with it, and it reduces financial problems of hospital…
Physician assisted suicide also known as “euthanasia” is physician's way hasten one's death. Physician assisted suicide is legal in five of the fifty states in the United States of America. Those states include Oregon, Montana, Washington and Vermont. In order for physician assisted death, a person must to have a terminal illness and have six months or less to live in order for a physician to do the procedure. Physician assisted suicide can be good in one’s eyes, but completely appalling in others.…
Euthanasia advocates Patients are constantly receiving criticism from those who believe that euthanasia is not ethical and should be illegal everywhere. Euthanasia can be defined as the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease. The practice of euthanasia is illegal in most countries. Euthanasia can be either voluntary, non-voluntary, or involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia occurs when the patient requests to die. Non-voluntary euthanasia occurs when a patient is either unconscious or unable to make a choice regarding their death and an appropriate person makes this decision for them. Involuntary euthanasia occurs when the patient wishes to live but is killed anyway and is considered murder. There are different…
Euthanasia is an act or omission intended to cause the death of a person in order to eliminate suffering, allegedly for his/her benefit. Euthanasia can be voluntary (at the request of the person), involuntary (against the person’s wishes), or non-voluntary (when the person is unable to refuse…
What is euthanasia? Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful diseases, in other words assisted suicide. There are different types of euthanasia that can be distinguish, the performing of killing with drugs or life-saving treatment because the patient…
The term euthanasia originated from the Greek word for "good death." It is the act or practice of ending the life of a person either by lethal injection or the deferment of medical treatment (Munson, 2012, p. 578). Many view euthanasia as simply bringing relief by alleviating pain and suffering. Euthanasia has been a long-standing ethical debate for decades in the United States. Active euthanasia is only legal in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland and in the United States in the states of Washington, Oregon and Montana (Angell). Several surveys indicate that roughly two thirds of the American public now support physician-assisted suicide, and more than half the doctors in the United States do too (Angell). Active voluntary and nonvoluntary euthanasia matter because they allow the patient or family to relieve them of pain and suffering, and to die with dignity and respect. In this paper I will argue that it is immoral and unethical to deny a patient the right to die and that active voluntary and nonvoluntary euthanasia should be a legal practice in the United States.…
The word 'euthanasia' comes from the Greek words 'eu' and 'thanatos', together translating as 'good death'. The Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary defines euthanasia as the 'act of taking life to relieve suffering'. In practice euthanasia proves to be far more complex, as it comes in a variety of forms. Passive euthanasia is the deliberate withdrawal of treatment and nourishment for the terminally ill patient. Active euthanasia is on the authority or for the best interests of the patient who perhaps is unable to speak for him or herself. For example, a hospital could decide when to take someone off a life support machine. Voluntary euthanasia is when the patient makes a request to have their life terminated, through the administration of a drug or other means. There is also involuntary euthanasia, which is when a life is taken away without and individual's consent and against their will and is one of the many causes for the sensitivity and distress surrounding this matter.…
Euthanasia is only legal in three U.S. states: Oregon, Washington and Montana. Although, there are regulations; a patient with an illness that will kill them within six months can request lethal drugs from a doctor. The request must be confirmed by two witnesses, one of whom cannot be related or known to the patient. Only when the patient has waited an additional fifteen days and reconfirmed the request can the lethal dose be given. As for other countries, euthanasia is legal in Australia, Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland. The regulations for euthanasia in these countries are much like that of the United States (ERGO).…
Assisted suicide is when a terminally ill patient decides that he/she doesn’t want to live life anymore (they are ready to die). They will die quicker and less painfully, rather than slow and torturously (Messerli). A person with those conditions should have the right to choose when, where, how, and who’s going to be there whenever they want to die. Assisted suicide should be legalized in the U.S because every human-being should the have “the right to die with pride and dignity” (Humphry), and a victory for individual rights over governments control (Knickerbocker). No one is suggesting that doctors should just kill every sick person, but that every suffering patient should have the choice to go under assisted suicide if they choose to. They are basically taking up space on Earth, and in hospital rooms. Legalizing assisted suicide would give every human-being the right to be free, and live life as they choose to.…
For the moral and religious counter argument issues, people are taught that suicide is morally wrong and a sin and they will go to hell if they commit such an act; however, salvation is the state of being saved from God’s judgment upon the sinner. When Jesus forgives someone of their sins, they are forgiven for everything and are granted eternal life in heaven. When a person is saved but is dying a horrible death and is in excruciating pain and wishes to die with dignity by using a physician assisted suicide then they have already been forgiven and would not have any reason to fear the afterlife (Slick, M., 2011).…
Euthanasia that is active is legal, in which the person actually causes the death of a terminally ill individual. People should be able to control their own lives. Hospice patients in Oregon made up 88.2% of patients who used the Oregon Death and dignity Act to end their lives during1998-2009. (Campbell& Cox, 2010) Patients that are put on hospice have to endure pain and are only given comfort measures until they die. The purpose of hospice is to ensure that a dying patient receives services to assist with the process of…
Euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide, physician-assisted suicide or doctor-assisted suicide, or simply known as mercy killing is the action of deliberately ending the life of a hopelessly sick and injured individual (such as an animal or human being) to relieve pain and suffering. Euthanasia is a very controversial topic with many views related to religion, moral, ethical and compassionate arguments surrounding the issue (MedicalNewsToday, 2017; nhs.uk, 2017; Merriam-webster.com, 2017).…
What would you do if you were laying on a hospitalbed, waiting to die? Feeling your blood running slower and slower through your body, while seing your loved ones with tears in their eyes around you. Wouldn’t you want to end your life?…
Euthanasia is defined in Webster's Dictionary as "the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reason of mercy (Webster's Dictionary 401). The Hemlock Society defines it as "justifiable suicide, that is rational and planned self-deliverance". The word euthanasia comes from the Greek- eu, which means good and thanatos death. No matter what your definition, euthanasia is ethical, and physicians should be allowed to assist in it legally (Derek Humphry, 18).…