The document discusses physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. It provides definitions for physician-assisted suicide as allowing a physician to provide a lethal dose of medication for a patient to end their life, while euthanasia is ending a patient's life to relieve suffering from a terminal illness. The document discusses the legal status of physician-assisted suicide and arguments from both supporters and opponents on relieving suffering, healthcare costs, and allowing death with dignity. It provides examples of suffering patients and families who wish they had the option of physician-assisted suicide.

3. Physician Assisted Suicide - The practice in which the physician provides a patient with a lethal dose of medication upon the patients request, which the patient intends to use to end their life Physician Assisted Suicide - The practice in which the physician provides a patient with a lethal dose of medication upon the patients request, which the patient intends to use to end their life Vs. Euthanasia – The practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment Euthanasia – The practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment

4. Between 1994 and 2006, there were 75 legislative bills to legalize PAS in 21 states and all of them failed. Currently PAS is legal in only 3 states; Oregon, Washington, and Montana

5. The right to die should be a fundamental freedom for everyone

6. Doctors/Caretakers are able to withhold care from a patient to hasten death, but not actually give you Meds in order to end your life in a pain free, humane way? Why is it legal to let a human suffer, yet to do this to an animal is cruel and inhumane?

7. Imagine what it would be like to spend six months vomiting, coughing, enduring pain spasms, losing control of excretory functions, etc. Then you must consider the psychological suffering; i.e. the knowledge that a patient knows he's definitely going to die and the pain is only going to get worse. Tremendous Pain and Suffering of patients can be saved Wouldn't it be more humane to give the patient the option to say when he's had enough?

8. Vomit, drool, urine, feces must be attended to by nursing assistants. Alzheimer's patients suffer from progressively worse dementia that causes memory loss and incoherent rambling. Death With Dignity Virtually all people want others' last memory of them to be how they once were, not what they ended up being

9. Consider the huge cost of keeping a dying patient alive for several months. You must pay for x-rays, lab tests, drugs, hospital overhead, medical staff salaries, etc. Medical costs can equal to $50,000-100,000 to keep some patients alive. Health care costs can be reduced Is this the best way to spend our money when the patient would like to die?

10. It's emotionally and physically draining to have the stress drawn out for so long of waiting for someone you love to die. When the patient does eventually die, it's often sudden or it follows a period when the patient has lost consciousness Pain and anguish of the patient's family and friends can be lessened Wouldn’t it be better to allow people to be able to say their goodbyes and lessen the stress on peoples families?

11. We have long waiting lists for hearts, kidneys, livers, and other organs that are necessary to save the lives of people who can be saved. Assisted suicide allows physicians to preserve vital organs that can be donated to others. Vital organs can be saved, allowing doctors to save the lives of others By allowing someone to chose to end their life, its possible to save someone else’s.

12. Which is better - controlled physician assisted suicide or clumsy attempts like taking sleeping pills, jumping off a building, or firing a bullet into one's head? If you were a family member, which would be more traumatic--saying goodbye to a loved one at the hospital or coming home to see their brains splattered against the wall from a bullet, or having to identify a body? Unfortunately, if people truly want to die, nothing is going to stop them. If that is the case, let’s give them a more humane alternative Without physician assistance, people may commit suicide in a messy, horrifying, and traumatic way

13. “Watching my mom die of cancer & the excruciating pain she was in for the last week or so of her life, I WISH she could have chosen Physician Assisted Suicide - NO amount of morphine dulled it for her! That was the most horrible thing in the world (I chose not to spend time with my mother in her final days because I could NOT handle seeing her suffer without breaking down in front of her…which only made it worse)” -Lissa, Illinois “Watching my mom die of cancer & the excruciating pain she was in for the last week or so of her life, I WISH she could have chosen Physician Assisted Suicide - NO amount of morphine dulled it for her! That was the most horrible thing in the world (I chose not to spend time with my mother in her final days because I could NOT handle seeing her suffer without breaking down in front of her…which only made it worse)” -Lissa, Illinois “My great-grandma is 84 years old... and has just been wasting away the past 5 years or so. She has had multiple strokes, lung cancer, lung and heart disease, and back in November she lost sight in her right eye, and a couple of days ago she lost the eye completely (before she could see shadows).I have heard her say that she is done. she is ready to die. I know she is not happy, and she hates having to rely on other family to take care of her.I was able to put my horse to sleep when she was no longer comfortable. She was blind, had bad hips, and definitely wasn't happy. I was able to remove her pain, and stop her suffering. Why shouldn't we be able to do this for people when they are ready to leave? My Great-grandma is definitely suffering. and if she could, i know she would choose assisted suicide, and i would be happy for her.” -Amanda Kern, California “My step father had a massive stroke. His mind was gone but his body fought on. They stopped fluids and IV's (in July) and still it took 7 days for his body to dehydrate enough to go into shock and shutdown. Dehydration is painful. He moaned and fought but never regained enough consciousness to say good bye. My mother sat by his bed watching the man she loved suffer completely helpless. Instead, the doctors could have made the diagnosis and with a single overdose of anesthetic put him at peace. I have been with my dogs when their time came... it was peaceful and stress free. They simply closed their eyes and within a few seconds they were gone. Sure beats waiting 7 days” -DAX, HGS Forum “My step father had a massive stroke. His mind was gone but his body fought on. They stopped fluids and IV's (in July) and still it took 7 days for his body to dehydrate enough to go into shock and shutdown. Dehydration is painful. He moaned and fought but never regained enough consciousness to say good bye. My mother sat by his bed watching the man she loved suffer completely helpless. Instead, the doctors could have made the diagnosis and with a single overdose of anesthetic put him at peace. I have been with my dogs when their time came... it was peaceful and stress free. They simply closed their eyes and within a few seconds they were gone. Sure beats waiting 7 days” -DAX, HGS Forum

14. August 2, 1950 – February 12, 1994 “If I cannot give consent to my own death, whose body is this? Who owns my life?” -Sue Rodriguez

15. November 15th 1958 - May 11th, 2002 “It’s not life, I’m already dead” -Diane Pretty

16. January 28, 1955 – March 19, 2008 “One would not allow an animal to go through what I have endured” -Chantal Sebire

17. “My intent was to carry out my duty as a doctor, to end their suffering. Unfortunately, that entailed, in their cases, ending of the life.” -Dr. Jack Kevorkian