The Pros And Cons Of Physician-Assisted Suicide

Physician-assisted suicide has been a hot debate topic for quite some time. People claim that physician-assisted suicide is just plain suicide, while some believe it is the right of the patient to end their own life when burdened by a terminal illness. Countries around the world have made physician-assisted suicide legal. The most famous country for physician-assisted suicide is the Netherlands. Here at home, the United States has five states that allow physician-assisted suicide while the other 45 states deny patients that right. Studies are showing that a vast majority of terminally ill patients have thought about physician-assisted suicide as an option for the end of their life. So what about the rest of America? Why don’t we get a choice …show more content…
For those of us who have not experienced such a thing, we cannot really know what our decision would be. Later in the study, Emanuel and Fairclough found that, 68.2 percent of oncology patients reported that they agree with euthanasia because of “unremitting pain,” while 49.7 percent also said they agree with euthanasia because of “functional debility.” The general public’s opinion also reflects about the same numbers as the oncology patients (Emanuel & Fairclough). It is pretty clear that euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide is a serious thought among terminally ill patients and their families. The public’s perception of physician-assisted suicide would be impacted if they knew the reasons why patients considered physician-assisted suicide to end their own life. If the public put themselves in the shoes of the patient and actually experienced what the patient was feeling, their view would change dramatically and support for physician-assisted suicide would most likely rise. If the patient does not want to endure the pain of their illness any longer, and there is not any medication that can ease their pain, they should not be forced to experience it any …show more content…
Poor families do not have the means to spend a great amount of money on medical care. Emanuel and Battin stated that: “To many, savings from reduced use of expensive technological interventions at the end of life are both necessary and desirable” (Emanuel & Battin). This is a true statement for all social classes in America, but especially the lower class. It is almost impossible for them to afford that amount of medical care, and that is why physician-assisted suicide is a better option in this case. Patients have some options on what drug they want to take. According to DeathwithDignity.org, patients can choose between liquid, powder, or pills. The powder, which is the more popular option, costs between 400 to 500 dollars (DeathwithDignity.org). At the end of their lives, patients have the option to die in massive debt or die by paying only 400 to 500 dollars. For many, the cost comparison would lead them to choose physician-assisted suicide over life-sustaining treatments, but since physician-assisted suicide is not a legal all over the United States, families are put into debt because they do not have any other choice. American citizens should not be forced to go into debt because the government has not legalized a certain medical