The use of euthanasia for humans has been controversial topic for many years now and is a strongly researched in bioethical studies. It contains so many subtypes of factors that make coming to a conclusion incredibly difficult. Many different countries have different policies for how to address the concept of euthanasia and there is lots of discussion to be had about it.

What is euthanasia?

Euthanasia is defined differently across the world, but the general definition is the act of ending someone’s life to relieve their suffering and pain. The term “physician-assisted suicide” also PAS, is used frequently along with euthanasia as it places emphasis on the fact that a medical professional is assisting the practice. An example of PAS would be a physician prescribing a certain medication or administering a lethal dose of one well-knowing the patient’s intent for suicide. Another term used in this discussion is passive euthanasia. This is defined as a third-party allowing the patient to die without patient consent by refusing to allow treatment or discontinuing treatment when circumstances are considered hopeless.

Why euthanize?

A request for euthanizing can stem from a few different reasons. According to this website, hospice and palliative care nurse Angela Morrow writes that voluntarily asking for the practice is motivated by a decrease in ability to enjoy life, loss of autonomy, and loss of dignity. While majority of those who request do not seem to be in extreme pain, the fear of impending pain, poor conditions which are provided by insufficient nursing homes and palliative care, and the desire gain control of one’s life by choosing when and how it ends are all strong motives for PAS. An example for why non-voluntary euthanasia would be considered by a third party is if the patient in question is in a coma, too young, senile, and/or severely brain damaged. For more examples of circumstances where this situation may occur visit BBC’s Ethics Guide site.

Arguments for legalization:

The only states that allow PAS are California, Colorado, DC, Hawaii, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and also Montana — only allowing euthanasia via court ruling. All these states require you to be a resident, at least 18 years old, and expect 6 or less months until death. There are numerous arguments for why people believe this practice should be legalized. Primarily, many studies show that the use of euthanasia is mainly reserved for those who are terminally ill. According to this Dutch medical publication, 86 percent of cases shortened life by a week maximum but more commonly only a few hours. This shows that majority of those requesting to end their lives via PAS are not prematurely dying. Another argument states that it improves the quality of life. Those with degenerative diseases such as severe Alzheimer’s for example may value the short amount of time they have left fully able to live the life they want to before living a painful life where they have succumbed to their illness. By being able to choose when and how they will pass away, these people can accomplish what they want to do and live their life to the fullest potential without having the constant fear and anxiety that can come with not knowing how natural death can aggressively and even unexpectedly end their lives. The last major argument I will mention is the law behind the Hippocratic Oath. The concept of ‘do no harm’ is the code which doctors are sworn into when becoming licensed. Refusing to euthanize someone in agony due to their circumstances can debated as violating the oath in the same way as it is to refuse keeping someone who wants to survive alive. Overall there are numerous reasons for why people believe euthanasia and PAS should be legal, to learn more about them visit this website here.

Reasons against euthanasia:

A large percentage of those against the legalization of euthanasia think this way because of their religious beliefs. The concept of playing God by taking someone’s life away, even when asked to is deemed morally and spiritually unacceptable to some. A few other arguments (according to this Christian website) that are most likely motivated by religious ideals but don’t explicitly mention them are as follows: There are drugs on the market now that allow patients who are in lots of pain to die with dignity. Patients who are dying may also not be in the proper headspace to make such a decision, or if they decide to revoke their decision but it is too late for them to communicate so, then the practice would be considered murderous. The legalization of euthanasia could lead to a ‘slippery slope’ leading to lots of unnecessary suicides, murders, and malpractice on the doctors’ end. The Hippocratic Oath would be null and void therefore destroying the trust between physicians and their and patients. Some people may be forced into requesting PAS because their relatives do not want to take care of them anymore. Lastly, hospice and palliative care needs to be improved so that the desire to euthanize in the first place is decreased. While of course, each of these points can be disagreed with, the last one is incredibly important and one that majority of people see eye to eye on.