Everyone in the world will experience the subject of death at some point their lives. The common wishes in regards to this subject are to die a peaceful death, surrounded by loved ones, with no suffering. A practice that would allow terminally ill patients to have this wish granted is the practice of physician-assisted suicide. Physician-assisted suicide, or PAS, is an action in which a physician provides a terminally ill patient with the means to end his or her own life. Most people want to be in control of their own end-of-life decisions. Being given the option to end the suffering is the largest decision of them all; however, it is still illegal to make this decision in all but four states. The option of physician-assisted suicide must
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Before gaining access to the medication, the individual must have approval from two medical professionals and it must be determined that the disease is unable to be treated (Leeb 18). Many people believe that if the law is passed, it will be too easy for individuals to gain access to the prescription; however, the amount of precautions taken to avoid the abuse of the system disproves this idea. Both the doctor and patient are required to go through many steps before the medication is given. The Death with Dignity Act requires the physician to take the family member’s feelings into account. If the family of the affected individual strongly opposes the idea of early termination of the individual’s life, it will be more difficult for the patient to gain access to the medication. (Leeb 34). Consideration of everyone involved proves that if a patient chooses to end his or her own life, it was collectively thought of as the best decision. Furthermore, data reported by the Oregon Health Division shows that the average time between consumption of the lethal substance and unconsciousness was five minutes. The average time between consumption and passing was twenty-six minutes (Chin et al). Knowing that death will come within minutes, rather than waiting for weeks or months, can be a great
Before gaining access to the medication, the individual must have approval from two medical professionals and it must be determined that the disease is unable to be treated (Leeb 18). Many people believe that if the law is passed, it will be too easy for individuals to gain access to the prescription; however, the amount of precautions taken to avoid the abuse of the system disproves this idea. Both the doctor and patient are required to go through many steps before the medication is given. The Death with Dignity Act requires the physician to take the family member’s feelings into account. If the family of the affected individual strongly opposes the idea of early termination of the individual’s life, it will be more difficult for the patient to gain access to the medication. (Leeb 34). Consideration of everyone involved proves that if a patient chooses to end his or her own life, it was collectively thought of as the best decision. Furthermore, data reported by the Oregon Health Division shows that the average time between consumption of the lethal substance and unconsciousness was five minutes. The average time between consumption and passing was twenty-six minutes (Chin et al). Knowing that death will come within minutes, rather than waiting for weeks or months, can be a great