Euthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide - 2032 Words

There is one common thread that links every single person on Earth. Eventually, everyone will face their own death. It is inevitable, unnegotiable, and will happen to everyone regardless of how invincible they feel they may be. People that are terminally ill receive their death sentence in a much more upfront way than others. Terminally ill patients are defined as those who have health ailments that doctors are unable to cure, but are able to alleviate symptoms of their ailment for a limited amount of time before death takes its course. Some people that are terminally ill may develop the notion that if they are going to die anyways, there cannot be any harm in accelerating their deaths. As a result, debates over the morality and ethics†¦show more content†¦Within the scope of euthanasia are passive and active euthanasia. Passive euthanasia occurs when a patient refuses access to medical care or treatments, as is allowed by their freedom to legally choose whatever treatment t hey wish to receive or withhold (Stoyles et al 683). However, their decision to withhold from receiving treatments may result in a hastening of their death. Passive euthanasia is legal in the United States (Stoyles et al 683). However active euthanasia is illegal and is often misconstrued as being identical to physician-assisted suicide. Despite similarities, they are different in technical terms. Both euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide have the same intent and end result. However in euthanasia, the doctor is responsible for administering the lethal injection or other agent of death. In physician assisted suicide, the physician prescribes the patient a lethal injection which the patient will themselves administer (Boudreau et al 2). In both cases, the patient consents to the treatment, but only physician-assisted suicide is legal in certain states within the United States. If a terminally ill patient indicates that he or she wishes to participate in physician-assisted suicide , it is usually for a multitude of reasons. Statistics show that terminally ill patients feel they will become burdensome to their family, friends, and loved ones. They would prefer not to see their family suffering because they are suffering, and do not wish