Physician Assisted Suicide Essay

Essay on Legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide
Physician–assisted suicide should be a legal option, if requested, for terminally ill patients. For
decades the question has been asked and a clear answer has yet to surface. It was formed out of a
profound commitment to the idea that personal end–of–life decisions should be made solely
between a patient and a physician. Can someone's life be put into an answer? Shouldn't someone's
decision in life be just that; their decision? When someone has suffered from a car accident, or
battled long enough from cancer, shouldn't the option be available? Assistedsuicide shouldn't be seen
as cheating death, but as a way to pay homage to the life once lived. As far as including the mentally
challenged in this equation, I am against it. The mentally...show more content...
Even so approximately 200,000 to 250,000 mentally ill patients died unwilling. In most cases
families were not contacted and received false notice from a letter sent through the mail. Before this
worldwide ordeal, the Romans and Ancient Greeks supported voluntary euthanasia since the 1800s.
America government was no big fan of the assisted suicide. It wasn't until the early 1900s that a
public survey was released showing that more than half of the Americas were in favor of assisted
suicide. This survey exploded great debates in courts, institutions, medical journals, etc. Jack
Kevorkian was known widely throughout America for his many assisted suicides. Numerous times
Kevorkian was tried for his participation, but the public support helped him escape (prolong) his
chances in jail. It wasn't until 1999 that Kevorkian was convicted to a 10–25 sentence in jail for first
degree murder of Thomas Youk. Thomas Youk suffered a severe disability and like many of
Kevorkian's patient he wanted to die. With the support from Youk's family, Kevorkian followed
through with his word, injecting a death substance. This ordeal was recorded and later broadcasted
on CBS 20/20. Some would argue that it was modern propaganda. I would agree with this. The
death caught on camera showed a pain–free way to die, almost becoming desirable to those who
watched (since nobody wants a painful death). Kevorkian
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Persuasive Essay On Physician Assisted Suicide
The word suicide gives many people negative feelings and is a socially taboo subject. However,
suicide might be beneficial to terminally ill patients. Physician– assisted suicide has been one of the
most controversial modern topics. Many wonder if it is morally correct to put a terminally ill
patient out of their misery. Physicians should be able to meet the requests of their terminally ill
patients. Unfortunately, a physician can be doing more harm by keeping someone alive instead of
letting them die peacefully. For example, an assisted suicide can bring comfort to patients. These
patients are in excruciating pain and will eventually perish. The government should not be involved
in such a personal decision. A physician– assisted suicide comes with many benefits for the patient.
If a person is terminally ill and wants a physician assisted suicide, then they should receive one.
Physician– assisted suicide was first popularized in 1997 by the Oregon Death with Dignity Act
(ODDA) . This act states that a physician has the power to prescribe a lethal amount of medication
to terminally ill patients. However, the patients must have the knowledge of upcoming death. In
order to receive the medication the patient must, be over eighteen years of age, a resident of Oregon,
and must orally ask for the prescription twice. The oral requests must be fifteen days apart. The
patient's physician and a consulting physician must agree that the patient is mentally capable of
making such a

Title: Physician Assisted Suicide
Topic: Assisted Suicide
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience on the right to choose your path with P.A.S.
Thesis Statement: Physician Assisted Suicide should be a matter of free will and not just law.
Introduction
Attention Material: "But it may also be within my power to take a life, this awesome responsibility
must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play
God". (Hippocratic oath)
Thesis Statement: Physician Assisted Suicide should be a matter of free will and not just law.
Preview: Today i will first discuss what Physician assisted suicide is. Then, i will discuss why I
think it should be...show more content...
III. On the flip side of this coin it could said that there is extenuating circumstances in this situation.
A) Doctors take an oath not to do harm and assisting a patient with suicide could be a Violation of
their oath. B) According to the " Journal of Medical Ethics" it may not be that simple to assist with
Suicide, some people have violent reactions to the medications and do not die.
IV. Some would say that there are religious issues with suicide, but according to "Clarifying
Christianity" the Bible speaks in Exodus (20) verse 1–17 that we should not murder. That is often
taken out of context and one cannot simply murder their own self.
V. Death is not easy at all, not for the patient of their family, but it can be more "peaceful" and
everyone should have the right to choose their own end when all that lies ahead is needless pain and
suffering for an end that is certainly coming.
Closing
I. Imagine yourself or a loved one just diagnosed with a terminal debilitating illness. You are given
at best six months to live. During those six months your prognosis will turn from bad to worse. You
know you will eventually be in an uncontrollable amount of persistent pain. You will eventually lose
the ability to feed, dress, or bathe and toilet yourself. Your once very active life will become one

Physician Assisted Suicide
The debate over Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide is becoming more and more
complicated as doctors develop a better understanding for its purpose and usefulness. Euthanasia is
a Greek term meaning "good death" and it can be described as a killing of a patient who chooses to
take this course in action by applying, administrating, and undergoing a procedure to end their life.
Euthanasia is prescribed when a patient is in intense pain or suffering and is ready to end their life
in a safe and logical way with the help of a doctor. It is a simple procedure with a choice of either
drug administration or a lethal injection. The injection is much faster than the drugs, but both work
in the same way. The significance of euthanasia is to be able...show more content...
The human body can only tolerate so much pain before it begins to shut down slowly. The
elimination of suffering can allow the patient to go to Heaven peacefully instead of having a bad
death that family members have to watch. Two examples of dealing of suffering is Brittney Maynard
and Craig Schonegevel. Both patients had long–term illnesses and were entering the final stages.
(Listverse) Brittney wanted to end her life with dignity, so she moved to Oregon, where it was
legal, and died with her dignity using euthanasia to help her go peacefully. (Listverse) Craig, on
the other hand, applied for euthanasia and was denied. He decided to take 12 sleeping pills and
suffocate himself with plastic bags. He wanted to die listening to his favorite jams while his parents
held his hands, but instead died harshly. (Listverse) He did not get the chance to die with dignity
like Brittney did. Doctors have reviewed both cases and do not want patients to go to the extreme
measures like suicide to end their pain. Euthanasia gives patients the opportunity to pass away in a
moral and just way while taking away all the pain and

Physician-Assisted Suicide Essay
Physician–Assisted Suicide
Imagine a frail elderly woman laying in the nursing home in pain. This woman is 80 years old
and has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and her heart cannot withstand treatment via
radiation or chemotherapy. She has less than six months to live. Day in and day out you pass her
room and hear her crying out from the immense pain. The pain medications are no longer working.
She's tired of fighting, tired of hurting, and tired of waiting to die. After consideration and
discussions with her family she has decided to ask the doctor to help and end her life. The doctor
feels remorse for the elderly lady and wants to help but cannot decide if it is the ethical thing to do
because he knows that what he's...show more content...
Doctors also try and keep their patients as free from pain and discomfort as possible. Most people
take comfort in knowing that their loved ones are receiving the best care possible from their
doctors. Not all individuals look down on doctors for respecting the wishes of the terminally ill,
even if that desire is to end their lives so that they no longer have to deal with the pain and suffering.
People like to feel as if their loved ones are protected by doctors, they do not want to think of the
doctors as murderers. Should a doctor be considered a murderer if they are just fulfilling a patients
request? Sometimes doctors are unable to convince a determined patient of any other options,
which may lead to them fulfilling the patient's requests. Is it right for a person to see the doctor as
a murderer if they are giving the patient what they want? Just because a doctor try's to give a
patient what they want, does that make him wrong? Many may say that doctors should not have
consequences because they are helping a patient out of his pain and agony. What a lot of people do
not consider is how is physician–assisted suicide any different than a doctor taking someone off of
life support or a physician respecting a person's DNR and not resuscitating them? When a doctor
respects the family's request and removes a person off of life support they do not receive

Physician Assisted Suicide Research Paper
1. In the United States today, only several states legally recognize physician–assisted suicide as an
option for families and terminally ill patients hoping to embrace a death with dignity. Although there
is a growing movement to promote access to physician–assisted suicide, the topic is still widely
regarded as taboo. As of 2016, the states of Washington, Oregon, Vermont, Colorado, New Jersey,
and California are the only states to allow full and legal access to physician–assisted suicide.
Alongside those states are Montana and New Mexico, which legally offer "aid in dying," meaning
the state allows for physicians to assist in alleviating the longevity of the dying process. For
terminally ill patients living in states where...show more content...
On a living will, an individual can express if they would prefer not to be resuscitated or if they don't
want to be living artificially on life–support. Additionally, living wills establish a written declaration
of a power of attorney, establishing a person who may legally speak on behalf of a patient who is
unable to do so. Living wills are crucial pieces of documentation that are necessary for the dignity
and wishes of a person who may fall unexpectedly into a life–threatening condition. If a person does
not wish to live artificially on life support, a living will may be the only documentation that can
secure their right to die with what they choose to be a dignified death. Unfortunately, living wills are
not too common, resulting in countless Americans whose lives are extended long after they wish to
live. In order to get a living will, one can either hire an attorney and have the attorney draft a living
will or there are templates available that can be filled out and submitted for notarization.
3.
The American movement to expand legal access to physician–assisted suicide has been waging on for
decades, making significant progress in humanizing death with dignity and reducing the social
taboos against the movement, but has made relatively little progress in creating federally protected
access to physician–assisted suicide. It is fundamental that physicians and insurance companies are
involved and actively working with the PAS movement

Essay on Physician-Assisted Suicide
Suicide is one person's personal decision; physician–assisted suicide is a patient who is not capable
of carrying the task out themselves asking a physician for access to lethal medication. What people
may fail to see however is that the physician is not the only healthcare personnel involved; it may
include, but is not limited to, a physician, nurse, and pharmacist. This may conflict with the
healthcare worker's own morals and there are cases in which the patient suffers from depression, or
the patient is not receiving proper palliative care. Allowing physician–assisted suicide causes the
physician to become entangled in an ethical and moral discrepancy and has too many other issues
surrounding it for it to be legal. Physician–assisted...show more content...
Physician–assisted suicide was first made legal in the state of Oregon. (Hendin) In cases of
euthanasia, physicians often give lethal doses of a medication to terminate a patient's life because
they're experiencing intolerable pain. Patients who wish to use the Death with Dignity law in
Oregon must be eighteen or older, must be a resident of Oregon, and they must be able to make
their own health care decisions. (Sharp 53) However, the law does not require the patient to be in
unmanageable pain, they must just have a prognosis of less than six months to live. (Sharp 54) This
law seems to be in place to kill patients more quickly to open up hospital space, instead of
compassionately ending someone's suffering.
Oregon's physicians are required by law to recommend hospice and palliative care, but are often not
qualified, therefore only thirteen percent of dying patients get to hear their alternatives. (Hendin)
Oregon also does not require a psychiatric evaluation when a patient makes a request for suicide.
(Hendin) Studies have shown that 13–77% of patients who request assisted suicide are suffering
from depression; however, psychiatrists believe that depression is a normal response to a severe
illness. (Boyd) Also, patients who are aware they are going to receive a psychological evaluation
which may allow them to commit suicide may lie during the evaluation so that they seem fine.

Essay on Is Physician Assisted Suicide Ethical?
Is Physician Assisted Suicide Ethical?
Theresa Anderson
SOC 120 Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility
Instructor: David Jung
November 25, 2012
Physician assisted suicide, is this an ethical procedure? Many feel strongly on both sides of this
issue. Some states such as Washington and Oregon have made Physician assisted suicide legal.
Other states such as Michigan and Massachusetts have put the issue to a vote and the voters have
turned down the option. What exactly is physician assisted suicide? According to Dictionary.com,
the definition is a situation in which a physician provides the means of death for a gravely ill patient
.Dehal and Levy explain, "The Death With Dignity Act (DWDA) allows mentally competent,...show
more content...
Who is ethically harmed by physician assisted suicide? The family members that believe that suicide
is against their family's religion may consider themselves ethically harmed. The doctors who feel that
assisting in the suicide is against the Hippocratic Oath may feel that this is unethical, but as stated in
End–of–life issues in the acute and critically ill patient, " Patient autonomy is a respect for an
individual's right of self–rule. It implies that a patient best knows his/her own goals and values
relating to medical interventions. In addition, patients have the right to make decisions that may
conflict with the recommendations of family members and health care providers," (Savory &
Marco, 2009) According to the utilitarianism argument physician assisted suicide is ethical.
With deontology the conclusion would remain the same as with the utilitarianism principle. Mosser
explains, "The deontologist argues that we have a duty, or an obligation, to treat other people with
respect; human beings have dignity, and we must take that dignity into consideration when dealing
with them."(Mosser, 2010, Ch1, Pg7) In letting a person choose to die with dignity, we show our
respect to them during their final days. As long as the person is able to communicate that their wish
is to have a doctor help end their life the deontologist would state that physician assisted suicide is an
ethical practice.

Physician-Assisted Suicide
The topic I chose to write about is Physician–assisted suicide. My position on the topic is that I agree
with physician–assisted suicide because it helps terminal ill people end their suffering faster than if
they waited until the illness took their life away. Also, the terminal ill person decides that he/she
wants to end his or hers life with a clear conscious knowing what is going to happen to them taking
the physician–assisted suicide route to end their suffering. By the terminal ill person deciding that
they want to end their life with physician–assisted suicide they are helping out their family. They
help their family by reducing their pain that they feel and also by helping them financially because it
is cheaper to end their life with

Physician-Assisted Suicide
Physician–assisted suicide is one of the most controversial topics in the United States and other parts
of the world today. Assisted death allows mentally proficient, terminally–ill adult patients to request
access to life–ending medication from their physician. This type of assisted death is promoted by
organizations such as the Death with Dignity National Center, who advocate for countrywide
advances in end–of–life care and extended options for individuals near death. Although there are
various arguments that state it is both immoral and unethical, physician–assisted suicide is a viable
and honorable method to provide end–of–life options to the terminally–ill and to provide better
support, relief, and comfort to dying patients. This topic...show more content...
According to the Death with Dignity National Center, basic eligibility requirements for
physician–assisted suicide include that a patient must be "18 years of age or older, a resident of
Oregon, Washington, or Vermont, capable of making and communicating health care decisions for
him/herself, and diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to death within six months."
Fortunately several steps are set in place to make that patients are deemed appropriate for the
end–of–life medication such as requiring that a minimum of two physicians confirm that all of the
mentioned criteria have been met. Furthermore, two verbal requests that are separated by fifteen
days, one written request made in the presence of two impersonal sources, the ability to repeal the
request at any time, and the requirement that the patient must be able to self–administer and ingest
the prescription independently protect individuals from coercion that would hasten their death
against their will. Physician assistance for the dying would not be appropriate in cases where an
individual is unable to make the decision independently with full understanding of the choice and its
consequences. It would also be unfitting in cases where it is not the individual's will to end his or
her own life, since one of the

Physician Assisted Suicide Persuasive Essay
Physician assisted suicide is an act of compassion that respects patient's choice and fulfills an
obligation of non–abandonment (Sulmasy & Mueller, 2017). Death is the inevitable end of life of a
person or organism. As humans, we live the best way we can and with medicine and technology,
humans can live a quality and healthy life–style. However, there is no human who is supernaturally
immune from diseases and accidents.
When a person becomes sick or involved in a serious accident, every effort is made through the use
of technology and medicine to either cure the disease or sustain the person's life. When a person
becomes terminally sick, it is probably that the person is going to die. Some patients become so
sick that their body becomes ravaged by the disease in a way that completely lose...show more
content...
Most patients suffering from incurable diseases or chronic illnesses will suffer and may experience
physical deterioration or psychological impacts. Depending on the illness, many people in these
conditions must deal with grueling side effects of their debilitating medical condition, which is why
I believe that it is best to have a patient die with the physician assisted suicide. Because they are still
entitled to their dignity and still have their autonomy. With physician assisted suicide, I believe
that people have a right to die in a humane way. If a person were to take their own life, would you
rather have them be assisted by a compassionate doctor who can ensure they feel no pain, or would
you want the person to make clumsy attempts of suicide by hanging themselves, jumping off
buildings, or even shooting themselves. I think if you were a family member to that individual who
tried those things, I think it would be a much more traumatic experience than if you were to say
your goodbyes at a hospital. In my opinion, if people truly wanted to die, nothing is going to stop

Physician Assisted Suicide Study
There has been a lot of talk over euthanasia. Some people are unaware of the difference of passive
and active euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. This study will inform the readers of the
differences and what is better for a patient and doctor to do. I believe that physician assisted suicide
is the best moral option to go through in a case of a terminal illness.
Passive euthanasia can be defined as letting the patient die. The doctor takes the patient off their
treatment and let the disease run through until they die. Active euthanasia is not legal today, and
leans more toward killing the patient. The patient is ready to die so the doctor gives a lethal
injection to speed up the process. Physician assisted suicide is almost a combination...show more
content...
The doctor might feel guilty for ending a life so soon on purpose. It is the doctor's goal to help
the patient live for as long as possible, not to end the patient's life. Even though Mr. J is in pain, he
has no right to ask his doctor to kill him with his hands and have that death on his conscious. This
option is also bad because the patient may not be ready to die. If they decide at last minute, when
the drugs have already been administered, then it is too late.
The option that is morally best to do would be option four. Mr. J would make the choice to end
his own life and he does not have to go through any pain. The doctor still has a good conscious and
Mr. J is in control. He gets to decide whether or not he wants to die and and when he wants to die,
and the doctor just does whatever necessary to help him while not doing the action of killing. The
other options that are morally permissible cause pain for Mr. J. If he does not want to be in any
pain he can make that choice which makes it the better option. The doctor will also not have to
watch him suffer in this

Physician Assisted Suicide Essay
As someone who is interested in pursuing a career in the medical field, it becomes apparent that
medicine and ethics have a unique and pertinent relationship. Everyday doctors, nurses, and other
health care workers have to make ethical decisions or help families make ethical decisions for their
patients. For example, in the video that featured bioethicist Toby Schonfeld, she discussed some of
the ethical dilemmas faced in hospitals today. The most notable ethical conflicts she noted were
physician assisted suicide, and other dilemmas such as transferring a patient to palliative care, or
whether someone should get a pacemaker or not. Perhaps, in my future I will face similar ethical
problems and will have to figure out a way to draw a conclusion that is the best for both the patient
and their family. One ethical issue I feel fairly strongly about is physician assisted suicide....show
more content...
The United States has a significant shortage of organ donors, and therefore every year numerous
people die waiting on transplant lists. However, to get on the transplant list and to receive an
organ is tricky. To be placed on the transplant list you have to be sick, but not too sick. A multitude
of people die each year as a result of becoming too sick and then ineligible to receive an organ.
Additionally, in order to respect the generous gift of donation organs typically go to patients who
are believed to do well. Most people would agree that the sickest peoples should get the organs, but
that is not always the case. It is my hope that in the future there will be a rise in organ donors and
organs available to transplant. Therefore, there would no longer be waiting lists or having to decide
which patients get to receive a transplant and which patients have to remain on the waiting list.
Organ donation is an extremely important process because it has the ability to give those at death's
door another chance at

Physician Assisted Suicide Essay example
In today's society, one of the most controversial issues is physician–assisted suicide for the
terminally ill. Many people feel that it is wrong for people, regardless of their health condition, to
ask their health care provider to end their life; while others feel it is their right to be able to choose
how and when they die. When a physician is asked to help a patient into death, they have many
responsibilities that come along with that single question. Among those responsibilities are:
providing valid information as to the terminal illness the patient is suffering, educating the patient as
to what their final options may be, making the decision of whether or not to help the patient into
death, and also if they do decide to help,...show more content...
Adkins contacted Kevorkian after hearing about his suicide machine' and asked for his help in
assisting her into death, according to Kathlyn Gay. After hearing Adkins describe her illness,
Kevorkian refused to help the patient and suggested that she try experimental drug treatments. After
six months had gone by Adkins informed Dr. Kevorkian that the drug treatment had been
unsuccessful and Kevorkian finally agreed to help with her request (44–45).
Adkins and her husband flew to Royal Oak, Mich., on June 3, 1990, for an interview with
Kevorkian. On the basis of that one face–to–face encounter, the doctor concluded that Adkins'
euthanasia request was rational. The following day, as her husband waited in a nearby motel, Adkins
was hooked up intravenously to an inverted bottle of saline solution hanging from a metal frame in
the back of Kevorkian's parked van. Acting on Kevorkian's instructions, Adkins pressed a button that
shut off the flow of saline solution and opened the line of sodium pentothal, causing her to lose
consciousness. After one minute, an automatic timer closed the pentothal line and released the
contents of the third bottle. Adkins' heart stopped beating within six minutes. (Worsnop "Assisted
Suicide" 157–158)
One source reports that the second and third assisted suicides occurred on, October 21, 1991. One
patient, Sherry Miller, was a multiple–sclerosis victim, and the second patient,

The United States is a nation founded on freedoms and liberties, giving each citizen the ability to
make their own life decisions. This freedom includes all aspects of one's life, including medical
care. With freedom comes responsibility, and this is true in terms of physician–assisted suicide. The
ongoing struggle between those in favor and those opposed to this subject has ravaged the medical
field, bringing into question what is morally and ethically right. The fact of the matter is that
physician–assisted suicide is neither morally nor ethically acceptable under any circumstance. Not
only is it a direct violation of a doctor's Hippocratic Oath, but it is not constitutionally binding.
Physician–assisted suicide would also lead to...show more content...
This line directly refutes the idea of a doctor assisting in the suicide of another living being. By
promoting physician–assisted suicide, doctors invalidate their pledge to be the best healer they
possibly can. This, in essence, ruins their credibility and their reputation as a physician. The
opposition to this idea states that the no harm claim within the Hippocratic Oath allows for a doctor
to end a patient's life if they are suffering. They claim that it is more harmful to the patient to suffer
the pain and agony of a terminal illness than for doctors to assist in the death of their patient
(Humphry). The problem lies with the definition of no harm. Hippocrates intended for doctors to
heal their patients, not kill them. The Hippocratic Oath is clear when it states that no lethal drugs or
other methods of assisted suicide should be practiced ("Greek Medicine"). Ignoring these principles
goes against the Hippocratic Oath, degrading a doctor's credibility and character. Not only does
physician–assisted suicide discredit a doctor, but it is not constitutionally sound. Physician–assisted
suicide has been brought to the attention of the Supreme Court on several occasions, in order to test
the constitutional backing. The result is always quite similar: the Supreme Court rules against
physician–assisted suicide. There was one particular supreme court case, Washington v. Glucksberg.
The state of

Physician Assisted Suicide And Euthanasia Essay
Is physician assisted suicide ethical? Physician assisted suicide is an up and coming ethical
question that examines a person's right to their own death. Many people support physician assisted
suicide, citing that it can save a lot of pain and suffering. Others claim that the concept of physician
assisted suicide is a slippery slope. A slippery slope in the sense that if society acceptseuthanasia as a
rightful death for the terminally ill, they will potentially accept it for other ailments as well.
There are multiple types of physician assisted suicide. Collectively, they fall under the categories:
active or passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia is when someone steps in and deliberately ends a
life. An example of this would be a physician administering a lethal dose of muscle relaxants to end
the life of a patient. Passive euthanasia is best described as when a patient withdraws from a life
preserving treatment. Euthanasia in general can also be classified as either voluntary, non–voluntary,
and involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia is when a person makes the conscious decision to end his or
her life. Non–voluntary euthanasia is when a person is unable to give their consent, and another
person makes this decision on their behalf. This usually is the case for patients who are in a coma
who have previously expressed this wish. Involuntary euthanasia is when a person is killed against
their wishes. Involuntary euthanasia is almost always considered

In homes across the world, millions of victims are suffering from fatal and terminal illnesses.With
death knocking on their door, should these people have to endure pain and misery knowing what is
to come? The answers to these questions are very controversial. Furthermore, there is a greater
question to be answered–should these people have the right and option to end the relentless pain and
agony through physician assisted death? Physician–Assisted Suicide PAS is highly contentious
because it induces conflict of several moral and ethical questions such as who is the true director
of our lives. Is suicide an individual choice and should the highest priority to humans be alleviating
pain or do we suffer for a purpose? Is suicide a purely...show more content...
Secondly, the patient should be capable of making and communicating health care decisions for
him or herself. Thirdly, the patient must be diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to
death within six months. Interested patients must also provide the request for termination in
writing to the physician. In addition, physicians are expected to inform patients to alternative
means of care including hospice care and other medications. Only after precautions evaluation,
the laws then permit patients to make the ultimate life ending decision. A pathologist from
Michigan, Dr. Jack Kevorkian was one of the first to participate in PAS (Strate, Zalman & Hunter,
2005, p. 25). There are documented writings discussing the severity of his patients: "those who
seek him out have deteriorated by slow, painful degrees and wish to exit from their infernos on
Earth before they deteriorate cognitively and/or choke to death" (Zeldis's, 2005 p. 130). Many of
his patients explain how they feel their own body withdraw and turn on itself; and not even being
able to eat or go to the bathroom (Friend, Mary and Louanne, 2011, p. 116). stress that dignity and
integrity are very personal matters; it is probable that being dependent on others to perform basic
activities of daily living threaten a patient's dignity and thus determine when an explicit request for
PAS is made. Perhaps to deny someone the ability to limit their suffering is cruel. My main
argument in support of PAS bears the

Essay On Physician Assisted Suicide
Paper topic: Physician assisted suicide
Research question:
Physician assisted suicide (a.k.a. PAS) is a pain–free alternative to whatever methods an individual
who is suffering from a terminal illness (or something similar) may come up with. With proper
vetting and the ability to obtain informed consent from the individual, physician assisted suicide
should be included in all individual's healthcare rights.
Description/Introduction:
This topic is an ethical issue due to the fact that several people are constantly struggling with
where they should draw the line between "personal choices" and "unneeded loss of life". Similar
to the ethical issues surrounding abortion, physician assisted suicide is frowned upon by those
who's religious beliefs reject loss of life, regardless of their living conditions or quality of life.
However, for those who are affected that do not share these religious believes and do not wish to die
a slow and painful death (such as having a terminal illness), should...show more content...
Humane and legal solution for those set on committing suicide
C.Detriments of PAS
1.Individuals can be coerced into suicide
2.Those with mental illness could choose suicide instead of treatment
III.Conclusion
First Perspective (Pros):
People deserve to decide how they die if they are to face the miserable fact that they will meet a
premature and terrible demise. PAS affords patients with terminal illnesses the option to choose a
peaceful, stress–free death with the aid of a medical professional (Acker, 2015).
Second Perspective (Cons):
If individuals have access to PAS on a wide scale, it is possible that the service can lead to abuses of
power or those who have treatable mental illness may choose to end their lives rather than seek
non–terminal help. The majority of individuals who oppose PAS often utilize the argument that PAS
can lead to situations in which people can be forced to take their own lives, to include those with
reversible illnesses (Lee, 2013).

Summary Of Physician Assisted Suicide
Michele M. Mathes presents the topic of physician–assisted suicide in health care and expands on the
views of professional health organizations and the opposing views of others. Health organizations
such as the American Nurses Association have a specific code for nurses which goes against
assisting in the suicide of a patient while other qualified individuals believe assisted suicide should
be practiced but with a few modifications to the process currently in place. Though there are
opposing views, a single nurse has the ability to decide whether or not they are willing to participate
in assisted suicide if they find themselves in that situation. The author of this source is qualified both
in her degree and in advocacy, and the article was...show more content...
They provide the opinions of nurses nationwide and analyze suggestions from a large number of
nurses to improve the care provided to patients at the end of their life. Since there are many
suggestions as to how end–of–life care can be improved from not only a specific area of the United
States but from nurses representing the nation as a whole, this proves that the care provided to
these patients had become an issue. The authors have expertise in the nursing profession and have
all acquired their PhD, proving that this is a reliable source. I will use this in my research paper to
explore different ways of improving end–of–life care to help patients feel comfortable and how
improving the system can cause physician–assisted suicide to no longer be

A poll in 1999 found that 52% of Americans though that Kevorkian should have been found guilty
on some charge, while only 27% said that he was not guilty. The survey also found that 45% of
Americans have a positive opinion of Kevorkian while 36% have an unfavorable one. After being
informed that Kevorkian does not have a license to practice medicine and that he supports the right
of doctors to help healthy patients die, his approval rating dropped to 19%, while his unfavorable
rating rose to 57%.
Public support for physician assisted suicide was confined to the limited situation where a terminally
ill patient would ask a doctor for help to commit suicide. Fifty four percent thought that doctors
should...show more content...
Thirty six states have statutes that explicitly criminalize assisted suicide: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin. Eight states
criminalize it through common law: Alabama, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada,
Vermont, West Virginia. Three have abolished common law crimes and do not have statutes
criminalizing assisted suicide: North Carolina, Utah, Wyoming. In Ohio, the state's supreme court
ruled in Oct 1996 that assisted suicide is not a crime. In Virginia, there is no real clear case law on
assisted suicide, nor is there a statute criminalizing the act. However, there is a statute that imposes
civil sanctions on person assisting in suicide. Oregon permits physician assisted suicide.
Many of these states have challenged the laws throughout the recent years. In result, no state has
changed its ban on physician assisted suicide, however, South Carolina recently joined the list of
states that have

Physician Assisted Suicide Essay

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