Legalization Of Physician Assisted Suicide
Physician-assisted suicide is the act of a physician prescribing a drug to a patient which the patient is able to take on his or her own without the assistance of a medical provider or another person. This drug generally results in unconsciousness within five minutes and death within thirty minutes. Physician-assisted suicide became legal in the state of Oregon on October 27, 1997. From the date of legalization through December 31, 2000, there have been seventy reported cases of people utilizing the law to end their lives. The debate over physician-assisted suicide has never been a simple one. In 48 states the practice remains illegal and the issue has only grown more complicated in recent years. Since 1992 the legalization of this practice
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Life is a gift from God, and that each individual is its steward. Only God can start a life and only God should be allowed to end one. An individual who commits suicide is committing sin. God does not send us an experience we cannot handle. God supports people in suffering. To actively seek an end to one’s life would represent a lack of trust in God’s …show more content…
This pressure may sometimes occur in very subtle forms. This is an important argument in favor of strict controls that would confirm that a patient is not being influenced by others. Some feel that the potential for interference is so serious that all assisted suicide should be banned. Some people wish to die because they are suffering from clinical depression. This is another argument in favor of strict controls to confirm that a patient requesting aid in dying is "of sound mind". In an age when total medical funding is restricted, is it ethical to engage in extremely expensive treatment of terminally ill people in order to extend their lives by a few weeks, if it is against their will? The money used in this way is not available for pre-natal care, infant care, etc. where it would save lives, and significantly improve the long-term quality of life for others. Some people argue that patients would be frightened that their physicians might kill them without permission. This is not a valid concern, since a patient would first have to request assistance in dying. If they did not ask for suicide assistance, their doctor would continue to preserve and extend their patients'
Life is a gift from God, and that each individual is its steward. Only God can start a life and only God should be allowed to end one. An individual who commits suicide is committing sin. God does not send us an experience we cannot handle. God supports people in suffering. To actively seek an end to one’s life would represent a lack of trust in God’s …show more content…
This pressure may sometimes occur in very subtle forms. This is an important argument in favor of strict controls that would confirm that a patient is not being influenced by others. Some feel that the potential for interference is so serious that all assisted suicide should be banned. Some people wish to die because they are suffering from clinical depression. This is another argument in favor of strict controls to confirm that a patient requesting aid in dying is "of sound mind". In an age when total medical funding is restricted, is it ethical to engage in extremely expensive treatment of terminally ill people in order to extend their lives by a few weeks, if it is against their will? The money used in this way is not available for pre-natal care, infant care, etc. where it would save lives, and significantly improve the long-term quality of life for others. Some people argue that patients would be frightened that their physicians might kill them without permission. This is not a valid concern, since a patient would first have to request assistance in dying. If they did not ask for suicide assistance, their doctor would continue to preserve and extend their patients'