The Euthanasia Debate Essay - 1583 Words

A long, ongoing battle in the institutional review boards, ethics committee and in the United states federal court is Physician assisted suicide (PAS) and euthanasia. PAS refers to â€Å"a third part action informed by the intended objective (at the very least) to furnish a potential suicide with the lethal means necessary to end his or her bodily life† (Parteson 11). There are victims suffering in silence because of this issue and it calls for immediate action with a federal regulated law. The victims are cancer patients who want to end suffering from their illness and impending death, patients that are brain dead or on life support, and patients that have diseases that cause excruciating pain that ultimately deteriorate the quality of life†¦show more content†¦Society does not know exactly what entails the latter, we need the correct information to make the right decisions and to pursue action. The main issues of debate are between non-voluntary, indirect, and assis ted suicide. Non-voluntary includes patients that are not of sound mind to make a decision, or the patients that are not of age. Indirect euthanasia is when a physician gives the patient more than enough pain medication which indirectly accelerate their death. Finally PAS, physicians assisted suicide is when a patient is going to die and a doctor helps them achieve this. The first victim I will advocate for is the terminally ill patient that has an imminent impending death. â€Å"In the past most people died relatively quickly as a result of accident or illness. Nowadays, the rapid increase in medical knowledge, technology, and intervention often allows the terminally ill to linger. Despite advances in palliative care the death process is too often protracted, painful and undignified.† (Fraiser 122). A person has the right to die, unfortunately terminally ill patients sometimes do not have the means to terminate his or her life and end the suffering. The supreme court ruled i n 1997 that Americans do not get a constitutional â€Å"right to die†, thus leaving a patient that is terminally ill, a victim to the states. Laying on their death beds in agonizing pain and after months and months ofShow MoreRelatedThe Debate Of Euthanasia And Euthanasia1429 Words   |  6 PagesINTRODUCTION: The debate of euthanasia is an ongoing one that’s shrouded with much controversy and ambiguity regarding the ethics of it in contemporary Australian society. However, the frequency of this topic being debated by physicians, influential figures and the media has become more prominent now than ever. In particular, in association with its impending legislation within Australian states. (The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists,2012) Various types of euthanasia are recognisedRead MoreThe Euthanasia Debate1211 Words   |  5 PagesEuthanasia is defined as the painless killing of a terminally ill patient by means of lethal injection by a doctor in a controlled medical environment. Similarly, physician assisted suicide (PAS) is when a patient requests a lethal prescription from a doctor or pharmacist to end their life before a fatal disease does. The two are akin to each other and are almost interchangeable in definitions. Being a highly controversial topic, th ere is a plethora of arguments surrounding PAS, all very emotionallyRead MoreThe Debate About Euthanasia And Euthanasia1631 Words   |  7 PagesThe debates about euthanasia date all the way back to the 12th century. During this time, Christian values increased the public’s opinion against euthanasia. 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Due to its high controversy only certain countries have legalised the procedure however they have strict rules and procedures that must be followed. InRead MoreCritical Reflection : The Euthanasia Debate1652 Words   |  7 PagesReflection: The Euthanasia Debate Medical advancements and improved living conditions worldwide have increased the life span of our population (U.S. Department of State, 2015). As a result, many individuals are now living with degenerative or chronic ailments that require increased support (Vissers et al., 2013). Unfortunately, these illnesses often come with a â€Å"diminished quality of life† (Butler, Tiedemann, Nicol, Valiquet, 2013). These issues have brought forth the euthanasia debate, which posesRead MoreEssay about The Debate Over Euthanasia1216 Words   |  5 PagesThe Debate Over Euthanasia The controversy over euthanasia has recently become highly publicized. However, this issue is not a new debate. Society has voiced its opinions on the subject for hundreds of years. Euthanasia, which is Greek for good death, refers to the act of ending another person’s life in order to end their suffering and pain.1 Two forms, passive and active euthanasia, categorize the actions taken to end the person’s life. Passive euthanasia involves removing a patient’s lifeRead MoreEssay on The Debate of Euthanasia Legalization in Britain980 Words   |  4 PagesThe Debate of Euthanasia Legalization in Britain The term ‘Euthanasia’ comes from the Greek word for ‘easy death’. Is that not how we would like our end to be? Unfortunately, Euthanasia is one of the most controversial issues being debated about in society today. Formally called ‘mercy killing’, euthanasia is the act of purposely making or helping someone to die, instead of allowing nature to take it’s course. Basically, euthanasia means killing in the name of compassionRead MoreThe Ethical Debate On Non Voluntary Euthanasia963 Words   |  4 PagesThe ethical debate on non-voluntary euthanasia is a complex issue due to its multifaceted nature. This topic examines the morality of ending a human’s life in circumstances where the person is incapable of issuing explicit consent. These cases would include utilizing euthanasia on very young children or someone in a vegetative state. There lacks consent with young children since they cannot speak to provide consent. Explicit consent is lacking with someone in a vegetative state since they are