Physician assisted suicide (PAS) is a highly controversial topic in several countries, especially the United States. Physician assisted suicide is known by many names such as physician assisted death (PAD), death with dignity (DWD), and aid in dying (AID). This practice occurs when a doctor or other medical professionals, such as nurses, help a terminally ill or disabled patient take their own life. This can be by giving physical means to commit suicide (i.e., prescription drugs) or instructions on how to commit suicide. It is most frequently used when a patient is diagnosed with a terminal illness, having less than six months to live. They then may relay their wishes to their nurse for information or go directly to their physician for medication. There are people that believe
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Some of these arguments are based on religious beliefs, while others are embodied in the rules of medical ethics. Many believe patients should not be criminalized for taking their own lives, but also believe it is absolutely unethical for a physician to aid in that patient's ultimate decision. The debate is whether physicians should assist in the death of patients if their demise is imminent. Some countries, such as the Netherlands, have already legalized the practice of assisted suicide. Some states in the United States have legalized the practice as well. There are currently only five U.S. states that have legalized physician assisted suicide, Oregon being the first. The other states that followed were California, Montana, Vermont and Washington (ProCon, 2015). Statistics have shown patients rarely choose assisted suicide, even though it is legal in that state. In 2012, patients that died from taking prescribed medication accounted for only 0.2 percent of all deaths in Oregon (Stutsman, 2013). There have been only about 44 deaths per year from patients choosing this practice over the past 15 years (Stutsman,
Some of these arguments are based on religious beliefs, while others are embodied in the rules of medical ethics. Many believe patients should not be criminalized for taking their own lives, but also believe it is absolutely unethical for a physician to aid in that patient's ultimate decision. The debate is whether physicians should assist in the death of patients if their demise is imminent. Some countries, such as the Netherlands, have already legalized the practice of assisted suicide. Some states in the United States have legalized the practice as well. There are currently only five U.S. states that have legalized physician assisted suicide, Oregon being the first. The other states that followed were California, Montana, Vermont and Washington (ProCon, 2015). Statistics have shown patients rarely choose assisted suicide, even though it is legal in that state. In 2012, patients that died from taking prescribed medication accounted for only 0.2 percent of all deaths in Oregon (Stutsman, 2013). There have been only about 44 deaths per year from patients choosing this practice over the past 15 years (Stutsman,