The Right to Physician Assisted Suicide "The right to choose to die when in advanced terminal or hopeless illness is the ultimate civil liberty." This is a quote by Derek Humphry, whom assisted his cancer stricken wife, Jean, in her suicide. The reasoning for the desperate act was to relieve her of her pain and indignity of inoperable bone cancer that became too much for her. There are other ill patients that want the same relief as Jean, but society is denying them their right of personal autonomy. Physician assisted suicide (PAS) would give these patients an end to the suffering they are desperately seeking. By using it rather than traditional suicide would give these patients a more dignified death surrounded by their loved ones and can potentially help others with their illnesses. It is one of today’s most debatable topics, and is illegal in most countries. PAS is such a difficult concept to accept, just as any concept surrounding death is, but in the right circumstances it is beneficial. Physician assisted suicide needs to be a legal option for every ill, suffering patient, after all other medical treatments have failed. What is physician assisted suicide? PAS is the act of a competent patient dying from a self-administered drug that is prescribed by a physician. Currently, PAS is only legal in a few countries. The United States is one of those countries with only seven states legalizing it. PAS is not an option many request. It only accounts for less than four percent of all Oregon’s deaths, which is the first state in the U.S. to legalize it. 71 years is the median age of patients, and most patients that request it has cancer. The two greatest reasons for requesting PAS has been the loss of autonomy and dignity. PAS is a last resort to cure one’s suffering . Physician assisted suicide needs to be legal due to the right of personal autonomy.
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Personal autonomy is a right that people can self-govern themselves. The fact that no one other than the ill patient can determine if death would be better than their own personal suffering means that they alone should be able to make that decision. A survey was taken by terminally ill patients from the beginning to end of their illnesses. It was revealed that only four percent wanted to end their life at the beginning stage, but at the point of being bed ridden the percentage rose to thirty-seven. () It is evident that some patient’s suffering is too much to tolerate. These results prove the individual patient should make the decision to request PAS, and not the state. Taking away patients’ rights to personal autonomy is unfair when you are not experiencing what they are. Two major contradictions regarding PAS are abortion and the death penalty. In all three cases lives are lost intentionally. Although, the death penalty is legal in 31 states, and abortion is legal in all 50 states. () The only difference in the three is the patients dying from PAS request to die themselves, and the others are forced. Abortions take the lives of children that can become productive citizens, and inmates can still contribute to society. While the patients requesting PAS can no longer live a productive life due to their suffering. It is contradicting that society can accept the deaths of some individuals and not the others. Patients that request PAS can consider donating their viable organs to other sick patients. While terminally ill patients know that there is no cure to make them healthy again, all some patients need is an organ transplant. There are 119,000 patients on the national transplant waiting list, and an average of 22 patients die daily waiting for a transplant. () Of course, any life lost is a tragedy, but what is more tragic is patients are dying daily when they could be saved by a donor. Legalizing PAS could ultimately save more lives than the lives that are being lost through it. This could also comfort the terminally ill patients and grieving family members to know that their tragedies can be turned into another’s blessing. Accepting terminally ill patient’s wishes to end their life could save the lives of others. Suffering patients that want to end
Personal autonomy is a right that people can self-govern themselves. The fact that no one other than the ill patient can determine if death would be better than their own personal suffering means that they alone should be able to make that decision. A survey was taken by terminally ill patients from the beginning to end of their illnesses. It was revealed that only four percent wanted to end their life at the beginning stage, but at the point of being bed ridden the percentage rose to thirty-seven. () It is evident that some patient’s suffering is too much to tolerate. These results prove the individual patient should make the decision to request PAS, and not the state. Taking away patients’ rights to personal autonomy is unfair when you are not experiencing what they are. Two major contradictions regarding PAS are abortion and the death penalty. In all three cases lives are lost intentionally. Although, the death penalty is legal in 31 states, and abortion is legal in all 50 states. () The only difference in the three is the patients dying from PAS request to die themselves, and the others are forced. Abortions take the lives of children that can become productive citizens, and inmates can still contribute to society. While the patients requesting PAS can no longer live a productive life due to their suffering. It is contradicting that society can accept the deaths of some individuals and not the others. Patients that request PAS can consider donating their viable organs to other sick patients. While terminally ill patients know that there is no cure to make them healthy again, all some patients need is an organ transplant. There are 119,000 patients on the national transplant waiting list, and an average of 22 patients die daily waiting for a transplant. () Of course, any life lost is a tragedy, but what is more tragic is patients are dying daily when they could be saved by a donor. Legalizing PAS could ultimately save more lives than the lives that are being lost through it. This could also comfort the terminally ill patients and grieving family members to know that their tragedies can be turned into another’s blessing. Accepting terminally ill patient’s wishes to end their life could save the lives of others. Suffering patients that want to end