Critical Analysis of Euthanasia: Research Paper

Doctors, even patients, often have the question, “should people who suffer from incurable diseases be euthanized if it is their wish?” Many different opinions have been said about euthanasia on critical patients who have to deal with endless suffering. “Assisted suicide is lawful in three countries, as well as Colombia and Canada.” Meaning, that those countries that have laws against euthanasia believe people who have hard lives and are not able to do the things that the average person can do, deserve to live through the unbearable pain that only they can understand and should not have the decision to move on in life and be relieved from an endless pain cycle.(Charles Lane)

“Chronic diseases affect approximately 133 million Americans, representing more than 40% of the total population of the United States.”(NHC) Those people have to lie through their own struggles different from those around them. Although, passive voluntary euthanasia is considered legal in all USA jurisdictions, only Oregon, Washington, and Montana have considered euthanasia a possibility in a patients life. (Srivastava)

Different types of euthanasia can be more controversial than the other as the first one, passive voluntary euthanasia, is when a doctor stops all procedures to keep that patient alive. Such as, a feeding tube is not inserted or a ventilator is removed. The seconds, active voluntary euthanasia is when the doctor interferes (with consent) to make the patient expire faster. Moffet goes to say, “This practice is debated over whether it is justified through a person’s right to life, and within this right, the right to end that life with dignity.” Keeping someone that is suffering from an injury or disease that is knowingly incurable is selfish. Moffet explains that when a person has been found to have severe brain damage or even to be brain dead, there is no reason to keep them alive. Allowing euthanasia permits patients to skip the dreadful pain and suffering and “die with dignity.”

Relieving any pain or discomfort should be a doctors first objective. Such as, “attempt to provide medical and emotional care to the patient by prescribing medicines that will relieve the suffering even if the medications cause gross side effects.” Each and every patient should have the right to determine his/her “value of life.” The human life deserves “exponential” security and protection, technology nowadays has proved possibility of longer “human lifespan and quality of life.” Passive voluntary euthanasia can very easily be “overused” and “disrespected.” “In the Netherlands in 1990 around 1,000 patients were killed without their request.”(Care) Letting doctors have the chance to consider whether euthanasia should be used on a patient can lead to lawsuit and deaths caused without permission or involuntary euthanasia.(M. Maisie)

Non voluntary euthanasia is when a patient is not aware of the circumstances that are to come, or they haven’t given consent for the doctor to end someones life. “A person is considered incompetent when he or she is incapable of understanding the nature and consequences of the decision to be made and/or is not capable of communicating this decision. In the case of non voluntary euthanasia, the wishes of the patient are not known.”(Death and Dying) Examples of this are when a daughter decides to give a lethal overdose of a medication to a suffering loved one, and the loved one does not want to go. Another is when a doctor of some sort decides that the patient they are dealing with is suffering in too much agony that they should be given a lethal dose of medication. Within this, the patient giving noticeable signs that they do not want to be euthanized and the doctor or physician ignoring these signs.

“Assisted suicide is illegal under the terms of the Suicide Act (1961) and is punishable by up to 14 years’ imprisonment. Trying to kill yourself is not a criminal act.”(NHS) There are people in the world that have to deal with family problems only they understand. This can stress people to have harder lives and be pressured into doing things that could lead them into critical conditions where they are stuck in a hospital bed for the rest of their life and have to do your bodily needs through a tube, as well as eating through a tube. People coming up on the end of their lives have the chance of end of life care. You have the ability to control your comfort level, spiritual and social support.

The majority of people with chronic diseases are not as bad as others. Those patients that have to live through agony are the ones that should have the option of euthanasia and decide their fate in this world. The majority of countries have laws and different opinions about the subject. Euthanasia has different opinions, some people think euthanasia is the greatest idea for critical patients, and some not think that way. That being said, no family member or friend would like to watch their loved one live an endless life of agony. There are other countries that are developing interests in euthanasia. Such as, increase in euthanasia has gone as far as fourfold in some countries. However, families continue to question the worthiness of this procedure, if they are prepared to lose the ones they love the most.