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Anjan Narain

Essay on Euthanasia in America - 0 views

  • Euthanasia is a choice everyone should have, but like all rights, it should not be taken advantage of. By legalizing euthanasia the practice of assisted suicide would be an available choice as well as regulated to see that it does not get abused and used for the wrong reasons.
  • My four primary arguments for legalizing euthanasia are as follows: The mercy argument, which states that the immense pain and indignity of prolonged suffering, cannot be ignored. We are being inhumane to force people to continue suffering this way. The patients right to self-determination.
  • The reality argument. "Let's face it people are already doing it".
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  • Some terminally ill patients who have been denied assistance in dying, have attempted to terminate they're suffering by ending their lives themselves or with the help of loved ones, who are not trained in medicine. Some patients have botched their suicides and brought further suffering to themselves and those around them. Patients should not have to resort to suicide to end their suffering. It is their life, their pain. They should be able to get the treatment they want.
  • " if we so choose, the end of life need not be preceded by intolerable pain, or by senility and loss of bodily functions.” Death with dignity is the right of every person who faces an incurable, painful or degrading future.
  • Caring for terminally ill patients requires a vast amount of money. In 1997, shortly after the senate voted to overturn the Northern Territory's euthanasia law, doctors from both sides of the euthanasia lobby united in calling for more funds for palliative care. There is a requirement for several hundred million dollars extra to really adequately provide for the needs of the dying, particularly in country areas.
  • Why does the government choose to outlaw euthanasia when it is done anyway? Legalizing it would mean that patients would be able to consult doctors, and not resort to taking it into their own hands, making it safer and better. There would be no need for suicide attempts; consequently there would be less tragedies
  • Passive euthanasia is defined as allowing a patient to die by withholding treatment, while active euthanasia is defined as taking measures that directly cause a patient's death
  • Those who argue against active euthanasia understand that there is a demand for active euthanasia as a response "to the fear of entrapment in a technologically sophisticated, seemingly uncaring world of medicine
  • offers several arguments in favor of the moral permissibility of active euthanasia, one of which is an argument from mercy. He begins by describing a classic case where a person named Jack is terminally ill and in unbearable pain and states that Jack's condition alone is a compelling reason for the permissibility of active mercy killing.
  • active euthanasia is morally permissible since it produces the greatest happiness
  • . The categorical imperative supports active euthanasia since no one would willfully universalize a rule, which condemns people to unbearable pain before death. It is also reasoned that it is considered bad to be the cause of someone's death and that death is regarded as a great evil. However, if it has been decided that active or passive euthanasia is desirable in a given case, it has also been decided that in this instance death is no greater an evil than the patient's continued existence
  • A good point is raised here, because death is supposedly inevitable in either case, so according to Rachel, if a doctor allows a patient to die or gives him a lethal injection, then the motives and ends are essentially the same.
  • In conclusion, denying patients the right to die with dignity and lucidity is unfair and cruel. If physician assisted suicide means giving a patient the right to choose between a life without dignity and hope, or ending their pain and suffering with an honorable closure on life, than it should be permitted.
  • When a patient has no desire to go on living and wants to die before their condition gets worse, they should be allowed to decide how their life ends and why. Assisted suicide is known to have been going on without fanfare and without legal support for many years. It is time to give physician-assisted suicide the legal justification that it deserves.
anonymous

Euthanasia in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 2 views

  • Euthanasia is illegal in all states of the United States. Physician aid-in-dying (PAD) is legal in the states of Washington, Oregon, and Montana. The key difference between euthanasia and PAD is who administers the lethal dose of medication.
  • Animal · Child · Voluntary Non-voluntary · Involuntary
  • the legal rights of patients, or their guardians, to practice at least voluntary passive euthanasia (physician assisted death). These include the Karen Ann Quinlan (1976), Brophy and Nancy Cruzan cases. More recent years have seen policies fine-tuned and re-stated, as with Washington v. Glucksberg (1997) and the Terri Schiavo case.
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  • District Court judge Dorothy McCarter ruled in favor of a terminally ill Billings resident who had filed a lawsuit with the assistance of Compassion & Choices, a patient rights group. The ruling states that competent, terminally ill patients have the right to self-administer lethal doses of medication as prescribed by a physician. Physicians who prescribe such medications will not face legal punishment
  • Ballot Measure 16 in 1994 established the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, which legalizes physician-assisted dying with certain restrictions
  • Texas hospitals and physicians have the right to withdraw life support measures, such as mechanical respiration, from terminally ill patients when such treatment is considered to be both futile and inappropriate.
  • In 2008, assisted suicide in the state of Washington was made legal by Initiative 1000.
  • A 2002 Gallup survey showed that 72% of Americans supported euthanasia
  • Recent studies have shown European-Americans to be more accepting of euthanasia than African-Americans, though this difference may be explained by other factors. They are also more likely to have advance directives and to use other end-of-life measures.[8] African-Americans are almost 3 times more likely to oppose euthanasia than European-Americans. The main reason for this discrepancy is attributed to the lower levels of trust in the medical establishment
  • Attempts to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide resulted in ballot initiatives and legislation bills within the United States in the last 20 years.
Shumona Raha

Euthanasia and Human Rights - 0 views

  • Euthanasia literally means “good death”. It is basically to bring about the death of a terminally ill patient or a disabled. It is resorted to so that the last days of a patient who has been suffering from such an illness which is terminal in nature or which has disabled him can peacefully end up his life and which can also prove to be less painful for him.
  • Active euthanasia means putting an end to the life of an individual for merciful reason by a medical practitioner by giving a lethal dose of medication to the patient. Passive euthanasia takes place where methods such as removing artificial life support systems such as ventilators, hydration, etc are resorted to.
  • On the other hand voluntary euthanasia means where a patient who is suffering a lot asks a medical practitioner to end his life whereas involuntary euthanasia is just the opposite of voluntary euthanasia that is where there is no consent of the patient but for it there can be many reasons such as if he is not mentally competent to give his consent and other such reasons.
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  • A person has a right to live a life with at least minimum dignity and if that standard is falling below that minimum level then a person should be given a right to end his life.
  • Supporters of euthanasia also point out to the fact that as passive euthanasia has been allowed, similarly active euthanasia must also be allowed.
  • A patient will wish to end his life only in cases of excessive agony and would prefer to die a painless death rather than living a miserable life with that agony and suffering.
  • According to them its not granting ‘right to die’ rather it should be called ‘right to kill’.
  • Opponents also point out that when suicide is not allowed then euthanasia should also not be allowed.
Shumona Raha

Should Euthanasia be legalized in India? - 0 views

  • A painful disease is one in which the patient suffers unbearable and excruciating pain. A chronic disease is a long lasting one and an incurable disease is one whose cure has not been found till date.
  • The individual should have at least the right to choose a graceful death for himself. Why should he be allowed to keep suffering day and night?
  • a patient should be allowed to decide when he has suffered enough.
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  • After all as an individual, you decide where to marry, you decide where to work, and at the last hurdle of your life, you should be allowed to choose how do you want to end your life.
  • What if the patient is in coma and is unable to make a decision, should the relatives be allowed to make it?
  • Legalising voluntary Euthanasia would lead to involuntary euthanasia. In this society, full of greed and corruption anything is possible.
  • The Bible says, “Thou shalt not kill” And even Islam does not allow anyone to take away life.
  • We have cases, where doctors are often beaten up if the patient was not treated properly, what would happen to a doctor if he merely suggested Euthanasia to the relatives? Will the relatives be able to understand the suffering of the patient?
  • Some people feel we don’t choose when to be born and we should not be given the right to choose when to die.
  • On the contrary, others feel that a life of pain is not a life but an imposition and we should be at least allowed to end it in a dignified peaceful manner.
Anjan Narain

Doctor-Assisted Suicide - 0 views

  • Euthanasia
  • To be acceptable to most Americans, any legislation drafted to legalize doctor-assisted suicide will clearly need to balance the desire to end suffering with the need to protect especially vulnerable patients. Timothy Quill puts forward two conditions for the future of this debate. If we legalize euthanasia, he says, we must ensure that absolutely every treatment and pain-management alternative has been tried before we allow a doctor to assist a patient to die.
  • if assisted suicide remains illegal, we must give doctors some kind of guidance in dealing with this morally and emotionally wrenching issue that presently rests entirely on their shoulders.
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  • Many who oppose the legalization of doctor-assisted suicide acknowledge that the practice goes on every day--and feel that society should tolerate it, but not legalize it
  • Judge Guido Calabresi reasoned, "It may well be that a society may prefer subterfuge and covert practice to trying to draw lines that are extraordinarily difficult to draw." A similar view against legalization was expressed in a Detroit News editorial (May 18, 1995): "Sometimes families and doctors will quietly try to frustrate a ban, but society must err on the side of life by officially declaring the practice off-limits."
  • they must either openly break the law, or explicitly hide what they are doing, neither of which are comfortable options.
  • Hogan argued, "With state sanctioned and physician-assisted death at issue, some 'good results' cannot outweigh other lives lost due to unconstitutional errors and abuses."
  • The Oregon act would have been first in the U.S. to allow doctors to assist patients in dying. The law would have let doctors prescribe (but not administer) a lethal dose of drugs to terminally ill patients who had formally requested to die.
  • The law required that the patient request to die three times, the last time in writing, and that doctors wait 15 days after receiving the final request to prescribe the lethal dose. A minimum of two physicians would have had to determine that the patient had six months or less to live.
  • patients' involvement in treatment decisions has been increased debate over doctor-assisted suicide, in which patients seek help in dying from their physician.
  • A November 1993 Louis Harris Associates poll found that a majority of Americans (58%) approve of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a controversial retired Michigan pathologist who has made a mission of assisting terminally ill people to die
  • The issue of doctor-assisted suicide has touched off highly publicized dialogue on how to care for the terminally ill, and specifically, how to manage pain.
  • Euthanasia is defined as "the bringing about of a gentle and easy death for a person suffering from a painful incurable disease," while suicide is "the intentional killing of oneself.
  • active euthanasia, which is at the center of the current controversy. Passive euthanasia is defined as "allowing to die," and is used to describe a decision to withhold treatment, or remove life support, from a patient who may be in a coma or vegetative state.
  •  
    "Euthanasia"
Shumona Raha

Euthanasia- Is mercy killing justified? - 0 views

  • On June 14 2005 , the newspaper headlines sprang the news that the central Government in India was mulling over the idea of legalising euthanasia
  • There are many religious and humanistic societies which protest against this mercy killing.
  • That can be done by a drug overdose, a lethal injection, or the withdrawal of medical support.
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  • Voluntary euthanasia is when the person who is killed requests to be killed. On the other hand, non voluntary euthanasia is when a person made no request and gave no consent.
  • When it is a doctor who helps another person to kill themselves it is called "physician assisted suicide."
  • Why keep a burden around? All you are doing is justifying your self seeking nature by getting rid of a problem.
  • Supporters of euthanasia argue that "mercy-killing" is necessary because patients, particularly those with terminal illness, experience uncontrollable pain. They argue that the only way to alleviate the pain is to eliminate the patient. What else can we do? They ask.
  • The medical expenses are so high when lifesaving medicines from good companies cost the earth.
  • In the west, nobody bothers much about old people because they are bundled up into old people's homes whenever the children think them a burden, physical, emotional and financial. But in India, grandparents are still a power in the house and the family.
  • Remember that the old and elderly are a valuable fabric of the Indian society
  • A terminally ill patient is suffering physically. But he's also suffering from mental and social pain. The social pain is that he is a financial burden upon his family. His children have to take time off their busy lives to take him to the doctor. Sometimes patients are reluctant to report that they are feeling any pain, because it will be a trouble to their family members.
Shumona Raha

Euthanasia - Described and Debated - 0 views

  • active and passive
  • the elimination of the old, weak, and disabled.
  • People who are "not useful" could be exterminated simply for that reason
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  • request death for the sick because of questionable reasons. Someone might only be thinking of their own gain, knowing that they are mentioned in a will.
  • Many believe that "only God can give life and only God should take it away" (Cundiff, 64). There is also the question to consider of the fallibility of physicians. Many lives could be ended too hastily as a result of incorrect prognosis or diagnosis.
  • While the pain should be treated (for example, with painkillers), the person should not be forced to live through methods like life-support,
  • In most cases, people who request assisted suicide or euthanasia are actually crying for help
  • Euthanasia could easily become a way to minimize health care costs.
  • physicians are being offered cash bonuses if they fail to provide care for their patients. Doctors could face financial risks for actually doing their jobs.
  • Medical care is something that must be provided. We cannot walk out on people who are suffering
  • No person is entitled to consent to have death inflicted on him, and such consent does not affect the criminal responsibility of any person by whom death may be inflicted on the person by whom consent is given.
  • it is called passive
  • "the government [does] not have the right to [allow] one group of people . . . to kill another group of people"
  • The government also does not intend to make anyone suffer
  • The allowance of euthanasia would open up doors of undesirable practices.
Shumona Raha

Euthanasia: Should it be made legal? Why? - 0 views

  • The difference is, in euthanasia, the person who is dying performs the last act while in assisted death another person performs the act. For example a physician can help in the process by giving lethal medications through the oral or intravenous routes. If the physician himself administers it then it is physician-assisted suicide, but, if he sets up the injection apparatus and the person who wants to die presses the button then it translates into euthanasia.
  • On one side it has been argued that for people on life support systems and people with long standing diseases causing much pain and distress, euthanasia is a better choice
  • it is much more practical and humane to grant the person his/her wish to end his/her own life in a relatively painless and merciful way
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  • In 1997, Oregon was the first to enact the physician-assisted suicide law in the United States.
  • It will lead to a person having an option to consult his/her medical practitioner and choosing the right time and right way to end his/her life.
  • But at the same time laws should be in place to make sure that there are proper standards in place to avoid unnecessary deaths in our present day stress filled lives.
Shumona Raha

should euthanasia be made legal in India? - 0 views

  • Euthanasia is self-imposed killing; it is a mercy killing, when there is not a slightest chance of endurance
  • Hence, from this perspective, keeping a patient under torment and unnecessary pain seems pointless. Therefore, in this case euthanasia is the most practical cure, and this is possible only if euthanasia is made legal in India.
  • When these patients want to give up their lives, they know deep within them that they are living on false hopes of survival and that there is not even a small ray of hope for further improvement.
Shumona Raha

Should euthanasia be legalised? - The Times of India - 0 views

  • Passive euthanasia, where an incurable patient is taken off the respirator with the consent of his relatives, for another patient who needs the respirator system, is also not uncommon.
  • Generally people who want to commit euthanasia are under a lot of stress.
  • "It is time we accept euthanasia though in a restricted sense,"
Anjan Narain

Euthanasia Pros and Cons - 0 views

  • It provides a way to relieve extreme pain It provides a way of relief when a person's quality of life is low Frees up medical funds to help other people It is another case of freedom of choic
  • The intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit.
  • Euthanasia can become a means of health care cost containment Physicians and other medical care people should not be involved in directly causing death
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  • Euthanasia devalues human life
Shumona Raha

Mercy killing? - 0 views

  • the issue of euthanasia has no easy answers and has always had its share of controversy whenever its come up here or abroad, ridden as it is by ethical and religious concerns.
  • The Bill had proposed that the patients undergoing acute suffering and given less than six mon-ths to live could seek death if they were of sound mind.
  • One such instance was that of 25-year-old Venkatesh who petitioned the Andhra Pradesh high court in 2004 seeking euthanasia while on life-support in a Hyderabad hospital, his body wracked by a debilitating muscular disorder.
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  • Venkatesh died soon after. But the young man’s case threw up the contentious issues surrounding mercy killing.
  • the Law Commission has recommended that life support be withdrawn if it is in a patient’s “best interest”.
  • And also whether mercy killing can be misused or abused. Now that the Law Commission has set the ball rolling, it is time for the government to minutely examine all aspects concerning euthanasia.
Shumona Raha

Should euthanasia be legalised? - 0 views

  • If the medical board feels that the person is valuable, if the medical board feels that the person is of immense importance, then he can be asked to live a little longer.
  • One can understand trying to save a child, but why are you saving old people who have lived, lived enough, suffered, enjoyed, done all kinds of things, good and bad
  • But suicide is a crime. This would be considered suicide, and it would be considered illegal to teach such things
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  • The suggestion is a movement, so that when people have lived enough and they desire to be freed from their bodies, hospitals should provide a convenient, pleasant death. It is absolutely sane that every hospital should have a special ward with all facilities so that death comes peacefully
Anjan Narain

A national survey of physician-assisted suicide an... [N Engl J Med. 1998] - PubMed result - 0 views

  • Although there have been many studies of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in the United States, national data are lacking.
  • we mailed questionnaires to a stratified probability sample of 3102 physicians in the 10 specialties in which doctors are most likely to receive requests from patients for assistance with suicide or euthanasia
  • 1902 completed questionnaires (response rate, 61 percent). Eleven percent of the physicians said that under current legal constraints, there were circumstances in which they would be willing to hasten a patient's death by prescribing medication, and 7 percent said that they would provide a lethal injection; 36 percent and 24 percent, respectively, said that they would do so if it were lega
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  • A substantial proportion of physicians in the United States report that they receive requests for physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, and about 7 percent of those who responded to our survey have complied with such requests at least once.
Anjan Narain

Euthanasia and the Law in the United States of America - 0 views

  • The US has a spotted history of law reform on voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted dying
  • Oregon was the first state to pass a Death With Dignity (DWD) Act which it did in 1994 after a Citizen Initiated Referendum.  However, this law was not finally implemented until 27 October 1997
  • allow people who are terminally and/or hopelessly ill to ask their doctors for lethal medication. Patients must make two verbal requests and one written request that is fully witnessed. Two doctors must agree on the patient’s ‘diagnosis, prognosis and the patient's capability’.
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  • The Oregon and Washington laws explicitly prohibit euthanasia, which is defined as involving someone other than the patient administering the medication
Anjan Narain

Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide: All sides to the issue - 0 views

  • Throughout North America, committing suicide or attempting to commit suicide is no longer a criminal offense. However, helping another person commit suicide is generally considered a criminal act.
  • Oregon which, since 1997, has allowed people who are terminally ill, in intractable pain, and not depressed to obtain a lethal prescription from their physician and end their chronic suffering. This is called "Physician Assisted Suicide" or PAS.
  • Washington voters passed Initiative 1000 in 2008-NOV. Supporters call it a "Death with Dignity bill;" opponents call it an "Assisted Suicide" measure. Both are accurate descriptions.   Montana's Montana Supreme Court legalized PAS in a decision handed down on 2009-DEC-31.
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  • "The right to a good death is a basic human freedom. The Supreme Court's decision to uphold aid in dying allows us to view and act on death as a dignified moral and godly choice for those suffering with terminal illnesses."
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