Euthanasia, the right for an individual to die with dignity, is ethical and should be considered legal to those who are suffering from terminal illnesses, injuries, or comas and have no chance of surviving or improving their conditions. Euthanasia is painless, giving patients and their loved ones dignity and assurance that they are no longer suffering in the final moments of their lives. There are many methods of euthanasia, including injections, drugs, withdrawn or withheld treatment, and Philip Nitschke’s “Peaceful Pill.” There are also three types of euthanasia, including voluntary euthanasia, non-voluntary euthanasia, and involuntary euthanasia. Although non-voluntary euthanasia and involuntary euthanasia appear to revolve around the same
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Although euthanasia, which is also known as “mercy killing,” is a daunting concept that includes ending someone’s life, it has benefits attached to it. Aside from having a choice in treatment, patients should be presented and have the right to the choice of being euthanized. However, this should not be presented to every patient of any ailment; it should be limited to only those who are diagnosed with certain diseases or are suffering prolonged pain or injuries. By restricting who qualifies for euthanasia, it would avoid increased suicide rates and the amount of individuals who select euthanasia unreasonably. In the process of legalizing euthanasia, guidelines of who would qualify would be generated. These guidelines would screen patients based on their illnesses or injuries, the severity of their ailments, their age, the duration of their ailments, and their mental status. The new, nation-wide guidelines can be …show more content…
Injection is the most common method. When a patient selects the injection method, they are given two primary injections. The first shot relaxes the patient, making them unconscious. The second injection included a substance that would stop the heart. Each set of injections has varying doses based on the patient. Jack Kevorkian, also known as “Doctor Death,” is notorious for expanding the use of lethal injections. He even built a machine for the purpose of self-serve euthanasia, called the “Mercitron” (Yount 27). Another method is inhalation of deadly gasses, such as carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is odorless, and the chemical changes that occur in the body are not noticeable. Carbon monoxide binds to red blood cells, taking the place of oxygen. Euthanasia through substances also comes in the form of pills. This pill, developed by Dr. Philip Nitschke, also gives patients the chance to die with dignity. Nitschke’s pill is also known as the “peaceful pill.” Another method of euthanasia is to refuse or stop treatment. Diseases, such as cancer, have the tendency to be very painful. In addition, terminal illnesses give patients a lost sense of independence. Treatment is very costly, and treatments for such diseases give additional ailments to the patient due to side effects. For example, some side effects of radiation and
Although euthanasia, which is also known as “mercy killing,” is a daunting concept that includes ending someone’s life, it has benefits attached to it. Aside from having a choice in treatment, patients should be presented and have the right to the choice of being euthanized. However, this should not be presented to every patient of any ailment; it should be limited to only those who are diagnosed with certain diseases or are suffering prolonged pain or injuries. By restricting who qualifies for euthanasia, it would avoid increased suicide rates and the amount of individuals who select euthanasia unreasonably. In the process of legalizing euthanasia, guidelines of who would qualify would be generated. These guidelines would screen patients based on their illnesses or injuries, the severity of their ailments, their age, the duration of their ailments, and their mental status. The new, nation-wide guidelines can be …show more content…
Injection is the most common method. When a patient selects the injection method, they are given two primary injections. The first shot relaxes the patient, making them unconscious. The second injection included a substance that would stop the heart. Each set of injections has varying doses based on the patient. Jack Kevorkian, also known as “Doctor Death,” is notorious for expanding the use of lethal injections. He even built a machine for the purpose of self-serve euthanasia, called the “Mercitron” (Yount 27). Another method is inhalation of deadly gasses, such as carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is odorless, and the chemical changes that occur in the body are not noticeable. Carbon monoxide binds to red blood cells, taking the place of oxygen. Euthanasia through substances also comes in the form of pills. This pill, developed by Dr. Philip Nitschke, also gives patients the chance to die with dignity. Nitschke’s pill is also known as the “peaceful pill.” Another method of euthanasia is to refuse or stop treatment. Diseases, such as cancer, have the tendency to be very painful. In addition, terminal illnesses give patients a lost sense of independence. Treatment is very costly, and treatments for such diseases give additional ailments to the patient due to side effects. For example, some side effects of radiation and