Assisted Suicide Laws Essay

As of January 2015 there are five states in the U.S. that have declared the Death with Dignity Act a constitutional right for a competent, terminally ill patient. Under what conditions is physician assisted suicide morally acceptable, is the question at hand and did these states make the right decision on such a slippery slope debate. This paper will go on to explain one side of this very touchy debate, it will also consider objections from the other side, and ultimately defend the position physician assisted suicide is wrong not only morally but also, ethically.

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld court decisions in Washington and New York states that criminalized physician-assisted suicide on July 26, 1997.12 They found that the Constitution did not provide any “right to die,” however, they allowed individual states to govern whether or not they would prohibit or permit physician-assisted suicide. Without much intervention from the states individuals have used their right to refuse medical treatment resulting in controversial passive forms of euthanasia being used by patients to die with dignity such as choosing not to be resuscitated, stopping medication, drinking, or eating, or turning off respirators.9

An ongoing national concern is assisted suicide. Should it be legal or illegal? Assisted suicide is defined as the death of a patient due to suffering caused by an incurable disease. They end their life by taking lethal amounts of drugs provided by a doctor. (Oxford University Press 2015).In America, people have rights, but does the government have the authority to decide personal choices for them? This is a very realistic topic discussed among the nation’s citizens. The following are considered extreme viewpoints of this topic: humanistic, capitalistic, conservative, and liberal. There are currently only five states that practice the death with dignity law, those being Oregon, Washington, Vermont, New Mexico, and Montana. Some are legalized

Over the last thirty years the fight over assisted suicide has earned a spot in the national spotlight, for both positive and negative reasons depending on your stance on the issue. There have been challenges made based off the constitution, the right to privacy and moral reasons for both sides. While there have been many notable persons of interest during this time some have helped the cause as others have hindered progress.

Physician assisted suicide is a crime almost everywhere, by one statute or another. In countries where assisted suicide is legal, there are guidelines, such as mandatory written request, administration by physicians only, and mandatory reporting of suicide, to prevent any abuse, however, they are often not enforced, or violated. Currently Washington, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico, and Montana are the only states in the U.S that have legalized assisted suicide. Those who oppose assisted suicide argue that the legalization of it may have unintended consequences, that are not confined to only those states citizens. A person who is terminally ill, disabled, or elderly, may look to assisted suicide as an only resort, rather than a last resort, which it was initially intended to be. Assisted suicide should be abolished throughout the United States.

Though assisted suicide is a humane way to end human suffering, it is still illegal in most US states (ProQuest Staff). Assisted suicide has created many ripples and tears in state governments all over the united states. Oregon legislature began to take action in passing a law called measure 16 or “The Oregon Death with Dignity Act” to make assisted suicide legal in the late 90’s (ProQuest Staff). After Oregon had passed the laws the US government got involved issuing a temporary restraining order and an injunction barring the state from putting Measure 16 into effect (ProQuest Staff). Two years later Oregon residents gain the right to end their lives if they have a terminal illness (ProQuest Staff). Oregon’s law on assisted suicide is there but is very precise as to when and how one can end their life. Patients wanting to obtain a lethal prescription must first, have a serious and incurable illness, and secondly requests for lethal medication must be made no more than six months from death (Wente). After Oregon complications with passing their Death with Dignity Act other states soon began to follow creating their own laws on assisted suicide. The second state in the US to pass these laws was Washington, they passed their version of the act in 2008. After Washington, Montana soon followed in 2010 becoming the third state to pass legislature approving assisted suicide.

People all around the world die with excruciating pain. There are many different ways people die but some can only be helped with suicide. In the United States we can help by providing Assisted Suicide to be legal. Although Suicide is never justified, Assisted Suicide should be legal in the United States.

The legalization of assisted suicide has been a controversial topic that has created a divide within the medical community, as well as the general public, for many years. Assisted suicide occurs when a patient decides to take their own life, with help from their doctor. The doctor can end the patient’s life without causing any additional pain or suffering. While some believe that assisted suicide should be legal for patients who are suffering from a terminal and painful condition, others argue that it is unethical and going against the doctor’s oath to help and not harm their patients. As the average life expectancy age increases, people are living longer while also having to live with more serious illnesses. As a result, lives are

The issue of assisted suicide places the advanced practice nurse in a precarious ethical and legal position. While the goal of the nurse is to provide care for the patient and to provide appropriate and safe responses to patient requests, assisted suicide is quite the dilemma in regards to a request to perform acts considered illegal with criminal implications and forfeiture of licensure at stake. Regardless of the nurse’s personal opinion regarding the issue of assisted suicide, whether for or against, the nurse must also consider the legal and ethical ramifications of actions taken. The individual patient that the advanced practice nurse is working with is not the place to implement personal feelings and potential challenges to existing laws. If the nurse is motivated, there are appropriate methods of working within the legislature to challenge or modify laws and statutes. Placing the patient and/or their family in the middle of this personal opinion is inappropriate, even if the family or patient requests assisted suicide.

There are a multitude of interpretations within both the medical and legal fields about assisted suicide. The benefits of assisted suicide for a terminally ill individual are notably momentous. However, the argument is not extricated from opposition concerned with the obligations of the medical community. It is paramount to have an even-handed perception of the issue and present each side but recognize that the rights of the individual in arbitrating the specific route of his or her death, specifically in lethal cases where physical agony is a vital concern. Additionally, having admittance to physician-assisted suicide grants

Assisted Suicide is a way to let terminally ill patients choose to end their pain and suffering by using medication that ends their lives peacefully. The first Right-to-Die organization began in 1980 and was founded by Derek Humphry. The purpose of this organization was to help terminally ill patients die peacefully. The topic of euthanasia, or assisted suicide, is very controversial because of the different customs, morals, and religions that are present in society. The practice of medically assisting one in ending their life is not legal in most of the United states, however, it is legal in five states.

What is assisted suicide? Assisted suicide is when a terminally ill person is allowed to authorize their physicians into taking the person’s life. Assisted suicide would be an easier and less painful way for ill individuals to pass. If not given the option they may take matters into their own hands and just commit suicide. “‘I’ve lived so close to death for so long that I know how thin and porous the border between coercion and free choice is...’”(Ben Martin). These individuals are left suffering for months and the families are left broken heated and poor. Assisted suicide should be legalized in New York State to help the families and the sick loved one.

Oregon was the first and only state for nearly ten years to legalize assisted suicide. According to USA Today, “In 1994 Oregon voters by a margin of 51 percent approved the Death with Dignity Act”, which was passed in November of 1997 (USA Today). The Supreme Court ruled that there was no constitutional right or prohibition of euthanasia or physician assisted suicide, thus allowing Oregon to experiment with the legalization of it. The Act “allows terminally-ill Oregonians to end their lives through

would you kill yourself if you were dying to put yourself out of misery? People in America are very upset that assisted suicide is legal in some states. A lot of Americans believe it is wrong and should be illegal. Should a person be able to kill them self if they want to? I believe they should, and that family members need to be willing to accept. If the fact of situation is if Love someone you should be willing to accept their decisive, even if you don’t agree with it.

“Americans are not entirely averse to suicide in cases of terminal illness. Currently six in ten Americans believe that a person has a right to end his or her own life if that person has an incurable disease” (Benson 267). It is obvious that most Americans can agree that assisted suicide is the final decision of the terminally ill patient. When it comes down to it, many terminal patients cannot make this decision, because they may live within a state where assisted suicide is illegal. So far, only seven states have made assisted suicide legal and one state has legal physician suicide by court ruling, while the rest still considers assisted suicide illegal. Even though some people do not approve of assisted suicide because of moral or ethical