Legalization Of Assisted Suicide example essay topic

Ethical Perspective on Assisted Suicide In every state in the United States of America, except Oregon, it is illegal to assist any person in ending their own life. It does not matter what the condition of the person is, how sick, or how much pain they are in. Have you ever considered what position you would take if you or one of your loved ones were in the situation where they would rather end their life, than continue living in excruciating pain and agony? Would you die in pain, slowly succumbing to cancer and being brutalized by chemotherapy, or would you rather die with dignity and ease? I believe that assisted suicide ought to be legal in every state and that patients have the right to die an easy and painless death. "Having a terminal illness and being in excruciating pain is like being locked in a room without knowing where the key is, this measure gives patients a means of escape".

(Rollin) Euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide, comes from the Greek word "eu thanatos" or easy death. There are two types of euthanasia: active and passive. Active euthanasia is when a physician administers lethal drugs to a patient, ending the patient's life. For example, injecting potassium chloride, or inhaling carbon monoxide. The doctor may also provide the patient with a prescription for drugs and advise the proper amount to end one's life. Passive euthanasia is when the patient dies from the withholding or withdrawing of treatment.

If a patient is on a machine to help them breathe, and it is disconnected, it is considered to be passive euthanasia. The main difference between active and passive euthanasia is that active euthanasia is illegal, and passive is not. If assisted suicide were legal, there would be standards that must be followed to ensure that the option is not misused. "It is currently occurring outside the law and without any reporting requirements". (Smith) Patients must be terminally ill and in sound mental health.

Assisted suicide should be reserved for those who genuinely would rather die than live in the pain of their illness, not for someone who is depressed and feels that death would be a way out. Patients should have to meet with their doctors to discuss the option of assisted suicide, and to be informed of the other options that are available". Such open dialogue will enhance detection of treatable depression... A study of euthanasia in the Netherlands shows that two-thirds of patients who asked their physicians for assurance that they would be assisted in dying when at the end stage of their disease did not need the assistance because other suitable alternatives were given". (Smith) I would also suggest that the doctor talk with the family of the patient to find out their feelings on the subject. Often, the family can see the pain that their loved one is going through and will support the decision of the patient.

The Hemlock Society is an organization supporting the legalization of assisted suicide. One of the founders of the Hemlock Society, Derek Humphrey wrote a book called Final Exit, which was number one on the New York Time's list of best selling how-to, self help books where it stayed for eighteen consecutive weeks. Final Exit was a basic guide on how to commit suicide successfully. The strategy was to overdose on certain prescription drugs. To ensure that death would follow, he suggested putting a plastic bag over the head secured with a rubber band. I think that this is a quite barbaric way of ending one's life, and is not one hundred percent effective.

I believe that by legalizing assisted suicide, it would put an end to people trying to end their lives by going around the law, and without proper help. The case of Dianne Lunger is a perfect example of the option of assisted suicide. Dianne was forty five years old and had suffered from vaginal cancer when she was twenty two. She struggled with alcoholism and depression for part of her life but had been rehabilitated and was clear of alcohol for three and a half years.

Dianne had been seeing her doctor Timothy Quill for eight years when she was diagnosed with acute leukemia. The disease was projected to end her life in weeks or months, if left untreated. The treatment was only expected to have a twenty five percent cure rate and involved chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants, and months of hospitalization. "Diane was 'enraged' when the oncologist presumed that she would want treatment and had begun plans to start chemotherapy that very afternoon".

(Quill) She refused the treatment and went home to talk it over with her husband and son, as well as her psychologist. After two days of contemplating, she kept her decision to deny treatment. Dianne said that the next few months she spent with her family and friends were "very intense and important", but it was starting to show that she was getting weaker by the day. Dianne scheduled an appointment with Dr. Quill for her death, and spent the next two days saying goodbye to everyone. She met Dr. Quill in his office and he administered the injection that ended her life.

Dianne died quickly and painlessly in approximately three minutes. Dr. Jack Kevorkian is another individual who has been pushing for the legalization of assisted suicide. Kevorkian helped forty seven people end their lives illegally using lethal injection or lethal gas. Kevorkian is on the far edge of issue because he would consult patients and "At least 19 patients died less than 24 hours after meeting Kevorkian for the first time". (Dzwonkowski) I believe the reason for this hurriedness is because of the illegality of the issue. Kevorkian used to perform these suicides in an old van that he drove.

I don't believe that patients should have to end their lives in an old rusty van, and should have the opportunity to have it legally done, only after careful consultation with physicians and psychiatrists. I believe that if assisted suicide is legalized, it should be conducted in the professional manner of Dianne and Dr. Quill, not that of Dr. Kevorkian. Every human being has the freedom of choice, and their death should be no different. If specific standards are approved and implemented for assisted suicide, it would ensure that there would be no abuse of the right to a quick and painless death.