Ethics: Euthanasia

Physician-Assisted Suicide and Legal Euthanasia

It is true that many Americans may not be capable of making a decision about their death, that is why there needs to be a legal practice of witnesses. I believe assisted suicide should be legal in the United States. The reason I would like to see legal euthanasia is for myself. I worry that will not have children or any one to take care of me. I don 't want to become a ward of the state with no say over my elder care.
Physician-Assisted Suicide and Legal Euthanasia
Euthanasia is defined as “literally good death”. (MacKinnon/Fiala 2014) Many argue that it is the same as murder and any one found assisting in the death should be charged so. In 4 states physician-assisted suicide is legal. The states are Oregon, Montana, Vermont, and Washington. I would like to look at the individual states in this paper.
Oregon
In 1994 Oregon legislation passed the Death with Dignity Act. “An adult who is capable, is a resident of Oregon, and has been determined by attending physician and consulting physician to be suffering from a terminal decease, and who has voluntarily expressed his or her wish to die, may make a written request for medication for the purpose of ending his or her life in a humane and dignified manner.” (ProCon, 2014) The patient seeking the prescription for the medication must be at least 18 years of age, a state resident, capable of communicating for themselves and be terminally ill with less then 6 months to live.
Washington
Washington state voted in the Death with Dignity Act in 2008. Due to the same act being brought in the rules and regulations are the same as Oregon states. There are 5 documented uses of physician assisted suicide in Washington.
Montana
Montana accepted physician assisted suicide in 2008 from the Baxter V Montana case. The requirements are the same as Washington and Oregon. Robert Baxter was a truck driver dieing from lymphocytic leukemia who approached the state to “use the assistance of his physician to obtain a prescription for a lethal dose of medication that the patient may take on his own if and when he decides to terminate his life.” (Darity, 2008)
Vermont
Vermont passed the Act No. 39 An Act Relating to Patient Choice and Control at End of Life in 2013. “A physician shall not be subject to any civil or criminal liability or professional disciplinary action if the physician prescribes to a patient with a terminal condition medication to be self-administered for the purpose of hastening the patient 's death and the physician affirms by documenting in the patients medical record” (ProCon, 2014) The same requirements of age, residency, cognitive skills and terminal illness need to be met by the patient seeking the medical assistance in ending their life.
I have been asking people in my local town their opinions on physician assisted suicide and what concerns they have to give myself a better idea of what the ethical issues are that come up with the topic. One concern that came up a lot was what if the medication ended up in the wrong hands, the patient seeking was wrongfully diagnosed or the lethal dosage was not enough. “In the 15 years that assisted suicide has been legal in Oregon, 1,050 people have obtained lethal prescriptions and 673 patients have have died as a result of these prescription.” (MacKinnon/Fiala 2014) I believe physician assisted suicide should be legal in every state. I see only positive results from legalizing euthanasia.
References

ProCon.org. (2014, April 17). State-by-State Guide to Physician-Assisted Suicide. Retrieved from http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000132

Meier, D. E., M.D., Emmons, C., PhD., Wallenstein, S., PhD., Quill, T., M.D., Morrison, R. S., & Cassel, C. K., M.D. (1998). A national survey of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in the united states. The New England Journal of Medicine, 338(17), 1193-1201. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223960544?accountid=107221

MacKinnon, B. (2015). Euthanasia. In Ethics: Theory and contemporary issues (8th ed., pp. 195-222). Stamford: Cengage Learning.

Vastag, B. (2007, October 6). No slippery slope: Physician-aided deaths are rare among those presumed vulnerable. Science News, 172(14), 212. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA169754104&v=2.1&u=lirn11752&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w&asid=742e31e4df98055827146daa0146c1cb

References: ProCon.org. (2014, April 17). State-by-State Guide to Physician-Assisted Suicide. Retrieved from http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000132 Meier, D. E., M.D., Emmons, C., PhD., Wallenstein, S., PhD., Quill, T., M.D., Morrison, R. S., & Cassel, C. K., M.D. (1998). A national survey of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in the united states. The New England Journal of Medicine, 338(17), 1193-1201. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223960544?accountid=107221 MacKinnon, B. (2015). Euthanasia. In Ethics: Theory and contemporary issues (8th ed., pp. 195-222). Stamford: Cengage Learning. Vastag, B. (2007, October 6). No slippery slope: Physician-aided deaths are rare among those presumed vulnerable. Science News, 172(14), 212. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA169754104&v=2.1&u=lirn11752&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w&asid=742e31e4df98055827146daa0146c1cb