Euthanasia Essay: The Legalization Of Assisted Suicide

The “right to die” or assisted suicide is a topic that can be sketchy for most people. Some people agree and some people disagree. Some people think it is legal and others may think it is illegal. For some it may go against their moral beliefs and others it may not. This shows that there is different opinions for everything, especially when you are an employee in the medical field. What exactly is a patient’s “right to die”? In 1994 Oregon became the first state in America to legalize- assisted suicide. People voted, in Oregon, for the Death with Dignity Act to be passed. The act would allow adults, who were terminally ill, to die within 6 months and get the lethal medicine from their doctor. This would allow the patient, who knows their disease will kill them, to die peacefully. They could ask their doctor to help them with assisted suicide. An example of an assisted suicide would be a 29 year-old …show more content…
In America there are only 5 states that allow “death with dignity” or assisted suicide. Those states are now California, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. At the time of Maynard’s decision Oregon was the state of legality. This means in all other states it is currently illegal or they are in the action to make it legal. Now in the states that have “assisted suicide” illegal, the patient still has the right to die, but their doctor cannot help proceed the action. Is assisted suicide ethical or unethical? Everyone has their own morals. Some people may believe it is against their beliefs, and some may just think it is wrong. There are others who believe it is perfectly fine. The doctors or nurses have the choice administer it. This is with every situation in the medical field. If the doctor or nurse chooses not to administer something, because it goes against their beliefs or morals than they have the right to not do it. They will then have to get someone else who is within their scope of practice to proceed the