Euthanasia is the action of intentionally terminating one's life. In common cases, patients have …show more content…
Some allow euthanasia and some are completely against it. The Netherlands and Belgium were the first countries to legalize euthanasia. Many countries have certain circumstances the patient must be in or certain types of euthanasia allowed. For example, in Switzerland, “People who opt for euthanasia must be rationally capable of making the decision to die. They must perform the final act -- usually the drinking of a lethal dose of barbiturates -- without assistance. And the event must be witnessed by a nurse or physician, and two other people” (A General History of Euthanasia). Switzerland only allows the patient to be euthanized if they are completely voluntary and able to complete the act themselves. In other countries, for example France, euthanasia is against the law. Each country and their laws differ depending on the leader in charge and that countries …show more content…
These categories include “physician assisted suicide ”, “active euthanasia”, and “self deliverance”. “In the first, commonly called “physician-assisted suicide” or PAS, a physician provides the means, such as drugs, that enable a person to end their own life. The second type involves a physician taking the initiative, such as giving a lethal injection (often called “euthanasia” or “active euthanasia” as distinct from PAS). In the third type, individuals achieve their own desired peaceful death without assistance from others, an act sometimes called “self-deliverance” (Martin). Most political debate approaches come from the medical, legal or ethical angles. An overwhelming sixty four percent of americans are in favor of physicians ending the lives of those terminally ill (19 Great Voluntary Euthanasia Statistics). Most americans believe in having the right to die but most commonly disagree in the process by which one decides to end their life. This makes euthanasia a very ethical issue that most commonly is decided by each individual person's morals and different experiences that shape their point of view. Euthanasia is also an issue within political parties. Republicans are more likely to reject euthanasia than Democrats. With a large portion, 37% (Wormald), of the Republican party being Catholic, “73% of Catholics believe that a form of voluntary euthanasia be allowed if there is an incurable