1983 a severe car accident changed Nancy Cruzan's life forever. Nancy was found without any detectable vitals, but the ambulance was able to bring her back to stable vitals. Nancys life was changed forever , and was diagnosed with cerebral contusions compounded by significant anoxia. In other words she was in a “...persistent vegetative state…”(Rehnquist). Before this horrific accident, she had verbalized that if she were to ever be in this state that she would wish to die and to not continue with her life. Nancys parents pleaded for the hospital to take her off artificial nutrition and hydration, but the hospital refused (Rehnquist 69). The question is, why does a person's state of being dictate their right as a human? The argument is the
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Medication to cope with the pain is a better way of helping the terminally ill deal with their circumstances is what is commonly said by the opposing side. The costs associated with these medications is the factor these people do not see. Medication is incredibly expensive especially at the rate in which these patients would need in order to combat their pain. Medications at this dosage are required to be administered by a healthcare professional who are paid as well. As Bill Fay stated on America’s Debt Help Organization it costs, “$855.79 per day for services during crises or at least eight hours a day to manage acute symptoms.” These rates are sure to throw families in overbearing medical debt within minimal time. These high medical dosages bring a poor quality of life to the patient. Medications at a high dosage in order to combat pain often times leave the patient in a drowsy state in which they are unable to clearly speak or know what is going on. Even in some cases these medications make the patient slip into a coma where they become completely incoherent. This quality of life is not of any quality and is incredibly hard on the families to see (Chou et al.). The patient should have every right to have their lives taken in order to be able to have their families see them in their optimal state before they are incoherent. Not only should …show more content…
Oregon being the first state to have passed Physician Assisted Suicide under the Oregon Death and Dignity Act (DWDA). This law states the rights to a person who is terminally ill may request medical help in ending his or her life (Stefoff 82). In many cases this is done by a doctor prescribing a lethal dose of a medication, which ends the life of the individual in a peaceful way (85). Although Oregon passed the DWDA, it did not go without its bumps in the road. In the 1990’s a federal district court judge backed the National Right to Life Committee's statement stating that the DWDA was unconstitutional (82-83). Again in 2001 there was another attack to the DWDA; this time by John Ashcroft stating that the DWDA was a violation of the Controlled Substance Act due to the fact that DWDA was conducted by physicians prescribing lethal doses of medication in order to end the patient's life (84). The DWDA did not go without attacks to its concepts, yet each time is was approved that it was in fact constitutional and the Oregon people backed it. This shows that science based evidence proves to be superior to religious based evidence. Physician Assisted Suicide is a topic in which is controversial, but we need to remember the rights of each individual before pushing our personal beliefs due to religion onto the matter. PAS already introduced itself into American society; with time and
Medication to cope with the pain is a better way of helping the terminally ill deal with their circumstances is what is commonly said by the opposing side. The costs associated with these medications is the factor these people do not see. Medication is incredibly expensive especially at the rate in which these patients would need in order to combat their pain. Medications at this dosage are required to be administered by a healthcare professional who are paid as well. As Bill Fay stated on America’s Debt Help Organization it costs, “$855.79 per day for services during crises or at least eight hours a day to manage acute symptoms.” These rates are sure to throw families in overbearing medical debt within minimal time. These high medical dosages bring a poor quality of life to the patient. Medications at a high dosage in order to combat pain often times leave the patient in a drowsy state in which they are unable to clearly speak or know what is going on. Even in some cases these medications make the patient slip into a coma where they become completely incoherent. This quality of life is not of any quality and is incredibly hard on the families to see (Chou et al.). The patient should have every right to have their lives taken in order to be able to have their families see them in their optimal state before they are incoherent. Not only should …show more content…
Oregon being the first state to have passed Physician Assisted Suicide under the Oregon Death and Dignity Act (DWDA). This law states the rights to a person who is terminally ill may request medical help in ending his or her life (Stefoff 82). In many cases this is done by a doctor prescribing a lethal dose of a medication, which ends the life of the individual in a peaceful way (85). Although Oregon passed the DWDA, it did not go without its bumps in the road. In the 1990’s a federal district court judge backed the National Right to Life Committee's statement stating that the DWDA was unconstitutional (82-83). Again in 2001 there was another attack to the DWDA; this time by John Ashcroft stating that the DWDA was a violation of the Controlled Substance Act due to the fact that DWDA was conducted by physicians prescribing lethal doses of medication in order to end the patient's life (84). The DWDA did not go without attacks to its concepts, yet each time is was approved that it was in fact constitutional and the Oregon people backed it. This shows that science based evidence proves to be superior to religious based evidence. Physician Assisted Suicide is a topic in which is controversial, but we need to remember the rights of each individual before pushing our personal beliefs due to religion onto the matter. PAS already introduced itself into American society; with time and