Analysis of the Physician Assistant Suicide Debate Essay -- Euthanasia

Medical science, send-off in the last half of the twentieth century, began to achieve the remarkable might to prolong life. In most cases, this is beneficial however, in regards to prolonging the dying process, sometimes indefinitely, this is frequently viewed by patients and their families as cruel, quite an than life-giving, and they petition the courts for the right to die. disdain the legitimacy of this military capability, a variety of forces have repeatedly endeavored to limit the rights of individuals in shaping the dying process for themselves and their loved ones. This is a particularly elusive area for health professionals and the following examination of the issues that this entails demonstrates that the most ethical position for society is to respect the autonomy and decisions of individuals. To die of cancer is frequently a drawn-out process. Terminal patients are frequently in tremendous distract despite the use of opiates. It seems perfectly logical to man y people that individuals who hankering to forego such(prenominal) torture, when they know that this inevitable, should be allowed to painlessly end their lives rather than suffer a slow, painful death. Yet, there are those who disagree. Stein (2004) reports that out front stepping down as the countrys Attorney General, John Ashcroft asked the US Supreme tap to overrule the nations only assisted-suicide law. A previously held lower court thought held that the federal government did not have the power to punish surgery doctors who legally prescribed lethal doses of federally approved drugs (Stein, 2004). Oregons Death With dignity Act allows patients who have been diagnosed with less than six months to live to request such a lethal dose if their diagnosis has been confirmed by ii do... ...out, this objection can be overcome through the institution of grim guidelines, such as were instituted in Oregon in accordance with their physician-assisted euthanasia law. Works Cit edFeinberg, B. The Court Upholds a State Law Prohibiting Physician assisted Suicide. . journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 88.3 (1998) 847-76. Web. .Harris, J. Consent and End of Life Decisions. Journal of Medical Ethics 29.1 (2003) 10. Web. . Singer, P. Freedom and the the right way to Die. Free Inquiry 22.2 (2002). Web. .Stein, L. Right to Die. U.S. News & World Report 18.137 (2004, November 22) Print.Sunstein, Cass R. The Right to Die. Yale Law analyse (1997) 1123-163. Web. .