This document discusses assisted suicide and its legality. It defines the different types of assisted suicide such as euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Euthanasia is illegal in the US and Canada but legal in some other countries. Physician-assisted suicide is legal in a few US states under certain conditions, such as having a terminal illness. The document outlines Oregon's Death with Dignity Act and the safeguards it includes. It also discusses the controversies around assisted suicide and its potential impacts on both patients and healthcare workers.

1. Death with Dignity or Murder?
(Freedomist, 2010)

2. What is Assisted Suicide?
 General term for helping
a patient to terminate
their life
 Majority of assisted
suicide requests are from
severely or terminally ill (Knickerbocker, 2010)
patients

3. Types of Assisted Suicide
Euthanasia: Physician-assisted suicide:
 Physician prescribes the
 Physician prescribes the treatment
treatment
 Patient administers the
 Physician directly administers treatment
the treatment to the patient
 Physician does not
administer the treatment

4. Types of Euthanasia
 Active  Voluntary
 Administering treatment to end  Patient consents to treatment
life
 Passive  Involuntary
 Withholding from treatment
 Patient is unable to consent to
that sustains life
treatment

5. Legality
 Euthanasia
 Illegal in the United States, Canada
 Legal in Netherlands, Belgium
 Physician-assisted suicide
 Legal in Oregon, Washington, Montana
 Legal in Netherlands
(Chaikin, 2009)

6. Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act
1. Requires the patient give a fully informed, voluntary decision.
2. Applies only to the last 6 months of the patient’s life.
3. Makes it mandatory that a second opinion by a qualified physician be given that the
patient has fewer than 6 months to live.
4. Requires two oral requests by the patient.
5. Requires a written request by the patient.
6. Allows cancellation of the request at any time.
7. Makes it mandatory that a 15-day waiting period occurs after the first oral request.
8. Makes it mandatory that 48-hours (2 days) elapse after the patient makes a written
request to receive the medication.
9. Punishes anyone who uses coercion on a patient to use the Act.
10. Provides for psychological counseling if either of the patient’s physicians thinks the
patient needs counseling.
11. Recommends the patient inform his/her next of kin.
12. Excludes nonresidents of Oregon from taking part.
13. Mandates participating physicians are licensed in Oregon.
14. Mandates Health Division Review.
15. Does not authorize mercy killing or active euthanasia.

7. Controversy
Against For
 A cry for help  Not all pain or situations are
 Suicide intent is not permanent controllable
 Depressed  There are safeguards
 Financial obligation to families  Humane
 Pain is controllable  Patient Self-Determination
 Legalizing physician-assisted
suicide would legalize
euthanasia
 Murder
 Sin

8. Impact
Healthcare and Human
Patients Service Workers
 In 47 states terminally ill  Many healthcare and human
patients cannot choose to end service workers would be and
their suffering have to be involved in
physician-assisted suicide
 In the 3 states that have
cases against their beliefs.
legalized physician assisted
suicide, terminally ill patients
are faced with a monumental
decision

9. References
 Amarasekara, K., & Bagaric, M. (2004). Moving from voluntary euthanasia to non-voluntary euthanasia: equality and compassion. Ratio Juris,
17(3), 398-423.
 Chaikin, S. (2009). Physician-Assisted Suicide: Should Death Be a Choice? Message posted to
http://myportfolio.usc.edu/schaikin/2009/10/physician-assisted_suicide_should_death_be_a_choice.html
 Chetwynd, S. B. (2004). Right to life, right to die, and assisted suicide. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 21(2), 174-182.
 DiNitto, D. M. (2011). Social welfare: politics and public policy (7th ed.). Boston: Person Education Incorporation.
 Freedomist. (2010). Germany Supreme court rules: assisted suicide ok. Message posted to
http://welcometoafreeworld.blogspot.com/2010/06/germany-supreme-court-rules-assisted.html
 Gorman, D. (1999). Active and passive euthanasia: the cases of Drs. Claudio Alberto de la Rocha and Nancy Morrison. Canadian Medical
Association Journal, 160(6), 857-860.
 Knickerbocker, B. (2010). Montana becomes third state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Message posted to
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0102/Montana-becomes-third-state-to-legalize-physician-assisted-suicide
 Lachman, V. (2010). Physician-assisted suicide: compassionate liberation or murder? Medsurg Nursing, 19(2), 121-124.
 Mackelprang, R. W., & Mackelprang R. D. (2005). Historical and contemporary issues in end-of-life decisions: Implications for social work.
Social Work, 50(4), 315-323.
 Traina, L. H. (1998). Religious perspectives on assisted suicide. Journal of criminal law and criminology, 88(3), 1147-1154.