Argumentative Essay: Death With Dignity Act

I was by my sister-in-law’s side as she suffered through a terminal brain cancer and I watched her slowly wither away to a shell of a human. I saw the life slowly ebb out of her, behind a mask of pain and untold indignities, until she was unrecognizable as the vibrant person I once knew. Motivated by the thought of her son growing up without her, she fought with every ounce of strength in her body until the last day she was conscious, seeking every medical treatment available. Tragically, the cancer prevailed and her life ended one month after the tumor was discovered. Fortunately her suffering was short lived, but for many, the pain and indignities of a terminal illness can drag on for months, even years. Witnessing the suffering that such …show more content…
However, it can be argued that Death with Dignity is closely regulated and the “law's multiple safeguards specifically require and guarantee direct patient involvement” (“Death with Dignity Acts”). Euthanasia, ambiguous at best, is “deliberate killing committed under the impulse of compassion” and is a direct contrast to the Death with Dignity laws where the patient administers the medication himself (Diaconescu 474). Euthanasia is a “concept that often implies a person's involuntary death” and is illegal in the United States (“Death with Dignity Acts”). In contrast, the Death with Dignity Act of Oregon provides a multitude of requirements and safeguards to protect the rights of the patient as well as the physician and the patient’s family. Some of the requirements in the ORS Chapter 127 are that a terminally ill patient is “capable, and has made the request voluntarily,” they are making an “informed decision” and have been informed of “feasible alternatives.” The patient must “notify next of kin” and must have “another person present when the patient takes the medication prescribed.” The physician must prescribe the medication with the “patient’s written consent” and the medication must be dispensed “directly.” The patient has a “15 day waiting period” before the physician can prescribe the medication and must receive counseling (Oregon Death with Dignity Act). The provision for a 15 day waiting period along with the requirement for the patient to receive counseling are important because they allow time for a patient to weigh out the consequences of their actions and ensure that a patient understands every aspect of their decision. Death with Dignity allows the physician to “[provide] the means, but not [perform] the final act” (Pappas 143). The patient is the one who decides to administer lethal dose themselves and when to do so