Pros And Cons Of The Opt Out System

The first human organ transplant occurred in 1954, on identical twins, and was performed by Dr. Joseph Murray, who later received a nobel prize for his work in pioneering some of the most common procedures that are practiced even today. Since then, advancements in the medical field such as more effective anti-rejection drugs, and more efficient surgical tools and techniques have made leaps and hurdles in overcoming many of the initial obstacles introduced by human organ harvesting and transplants. One obstacle remains, however. At any given moment, the demand for organs far exceeds the supply of organs, and therefore creates a lack of organ donors. This problem holds especially true for Canadians given that we have consistently one of the worst rate of donors per sample (around 13 organ donors per million) amongst industrialized …show more content…
Simply put, the opt-in system allows for each person wishing to donate their organs, once deceased, to do so by registering to be am intended organ donor. Oppositely, in the opt-out system, everyone is presumed to be an intended organ donor, and they must register in order not to be an intended organ donor. At first glance, both systems seem to result in similar outcomes, but as similar as they seem, each system has its pros and cons, and it can become quite difficult to distinguish which one may be better for Canada. By examining the opt-out system through philosophical and ethical lenses of its implications in human behaviour, and its line of reasoning, it may be determined whether or not the opt-out system plays a beneficial role in increasing the number of current, intended organ donors in Canada. The current opt-in system used in Canada, and by many other countries, runs on the belief of altruistic donations where people become intended donors on the principles of good faith for others and selflessness. Therefore, should an opt-out system imply the opposite; do Canadians lack principles of