The Pros And Cons Of Physician Assisted Suicide

Americans will either be opposed or supportive when you mention Physician Assisted Suicide. In fact, 70 percent of Americans support the idea of allowing physicians to end a terminally ill patients life (Pickert, 2009). Although the surprisingly high percentage of supporters, only five states allow the act. Many Americans can understand why states support it, such as allowing terminally ill patients to die on their own terms. (Pickert, 2009). The opposing side although, gives strong points to give a better understanding as to why this is not a federal law, these include, federal ruling stating patients don’t have a constitutional right, doctors personal discourse and prescribing such drugs, also the lower cost of aid-in-dying care opposed to end-of-life care, these help to understand the Federal Governments’ federal policy surrounding this controversial act, or the lack there of. In 1997, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Americans do not have a constitutional right to Physician assisted suicide (Levine, …show more content…
The Supreme Court has not yet made it a federal law; states though are allowed to make their own laws regarding the manner. Reasons as to why it is not a federal law are the federal ruling which states patients don’t have a constitutional right, doctors personal discourse and prescribing such drugs, also the lower cost of aid-in-dying care opposed to end-of-life care, also concerned that people may be coerced to go through with the act. Personally, I see assisted suicide as the simple way out, many times terminally ill patients live longer than they are expected to. There really is not a true way to determine if someone is accurately going to die. In simple terms, I believe this should be left as a state law and not a federal law, with a firm set of rules and several