The Legal Aspect Of Physician Assisted Suicide - 1854 Words

Physician-assisted suicide is arguably one of the most controversial issues of the twenty-first century. Anyone can kill themselves, but what happens when one is not capable of physically doing so and at the same exact time is also terminally ill. When is it okay for a physician to use their medical expertise, and oblige with a incurably patient; to agree that one’s life is worth ending. Where is the line drawn? Legally, physician-assisted suicide is a criminal offense; you are after all killing another human. Morally, is it okay to watch someone die in agonizing pain and stand-by because God told us all too. This essay will explore and analyze the legal aspect of physician-assisted suicide, what does the law say. As well as, the moral implications of physician-assisted suicide, it is ever okay, and the consequences it will have on our society. Sue Rodriguez, was a forty year old women who had Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou’ Gehrig’s disease. This is neurodegenerative disorder, which essentially means that your nervous system slowly deteriorates and eventually leads to paralysis (Medicinal dictionary, Lou Gehrig disease). The verdict is not death, only. It’s an extremely slow and painful passing, one that is argued to cause much suffering. Rodriguez believed that because her disease would paralyze her she would need the help of a physician to assist in her suicide because she physically would not be able to end her own life. This term isShow MoreRelatedThe Ethics Of Physician-Assisted Suicide1381 Words   |  6 PagesPhysician-assisted suicide can be the withholding of essential care, but it can also be the administration of lethal drugs either by the patient themselves or by a medical professional to end suffering from incurable diseases (Richmond, 2014). Is it fair to make someone live in chronic pain for the rest of their life when there are options? If someone has tried all options to live and have come to terms with no more options, is it okay to help them end their life? The choices do not come easy andRead MoreIs Euthanasia A Lethal Injection?1269 Words   |  6 Pagesdeliberately ending a person’s life to relieve suffering† (Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide). Rather than letting a human with a terminal illness live on and suffer, they can request to die so they do not suffer anymore and their family does not have to suffer or deal with medical bills. For the purposes of this paper we will be discussing euthanasia, passive and active, along with physician-assisted suicide in humans. â€Å"Physician-assisted suicide entails making lethal means available to the patient to be usedRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide Thesis Statement1679 Words   |  7 Pagespatients’ requests for physician-assisted suicide are now a viable possibility. Knowing the pathways to answering to those patients, as their requests for assisted death persist, is upmost importance. As of June, 9th 2016 California became the fifth state to allow physician-assisted suicide. The California’s End of Life Option Act authorizes any individual 18 years of age or older, who has been diagnosed as terminally ill and fits specific criteria, to solicit administration of assisted dying drugs at theRead MoreThe Ethics of Euthanasia Essay1742 Words   |  7 Pages If it was legal, her husband would have willingly helped her father and put him out of his misery, however in the state of North Carolina, physician-assisted suicide is illegal. Luckily, her father passed away this year and is finally free of pain and suffering. However, if physician-assisted suicide was legal, her father would not have had to suffer as long as he did. Before we explore the sides of physician-assisted suicide, let’s go over exactly what physician-assisted suicide entails. WhenRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide is NOT Ethical Essay1347 Words   |  6 PagesIs physician assisted suicide morally right? This has been a controversial subject for some time now. People are wondering whether or not it is the most humane thing to do. If dogs can be putdown, why not people? The reason is in that question. They are people. Every life is important, no matter how long it may be. Instead of finding a way to get rid of people faster, the government could put those efforts in something more positive. If other people are considering whether or not the patients’ lifeRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide Is Not Considered Admissible949 Words   |  4 PagesPhysician assisted suicide- the voluntary termination of one’s own life by administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician, and eu thanasia, the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable, painful disease are both highly emotional and contentious subjects. Some argue physician assisted suicide (P.A.S.) is admissible for someone who is dying and trying to painlessly break free from the intolerable suffering at the end of their life, and someRead MoreAssisted Suicide And Euthanasia Suicide1578 Words   |  7 Pagesthese difficult issues is assisted suicide. Physician assisted suicide (PAS) has been an important ethical concern in medicine in recent years. It is important to understand the various forms of assisted suicide, the legality of assisted suicide as well as the implications it may have for patient as well as healthcare professionals alike. When considering assisted suicide there are several different definitions that may fall into this general term. Often times â€Å"assisted suicide† is confused with â€Å"euthanasia†Read MorePhysician Assisted Suicide : The Voluntary Termination Of One s Own Life1612 Words   |  7 Pages Physician Assisted Suicide Essay Could you imagine being diagnosed with a terminal illness and not having the option of physician assisted suicide? Hearing the physician inform you that you have no other options than to let your illness decide when and how you will die. Physician assisted suicide is the voluntary termination of one’s own life by administration of a lethal substance with the assistance of a physician. Physician assisted suicide should be legalized in all states throughout theRead MoreAssisted Suicide And The Euthanasia Movement1273 Words   |  6 PagesAssisted Suicide Imagine being in enough excruciating pain for a long enough time and deciding that even dying would be better. Assisted suicide is affecting more people around the world every day; either under agreeable or disagreeable terms, depending on each person’s opinion. What is assisted suicide and why is controversy over this topic still here after at least 1,500 years of existence (A Merciful End: The Euthanasia Movement in Modern America)? There are many factors to consider whenRead MoreEssay The Physician-Assisted Suicide Argument985 Words   |  4 Pagesreferenced in support of physician-assisted-suicide, or PAS. Euthanasia and assisted suicide are interchangeable terms which both lead to the death of an individual. Voluntary PAS is a medical professional, usually a physician, who provides medication or other procedures with the intention of ending the patient’s life. Voluntary PAS is the administration of medicine with the explicit consent from the patient. In terms of this paper, we focus on voluntary physician-assisted suicide in the elderly, 65 and