Exploration of Euthanasia

Exploration of Euthanasia

Euthanasia is when an ill person or somebody with a major disability

wants to end their own life to stop their pain or so their family and

friends can be free of looking after them, it's not just when somebody

is ill but it is also when they decide enough is enough. There are

many types of euthanasia.

Voluntary euthanasia - when the ill person chooses to ask to die but

is incapable of committing suicide without any help. This is often

called 'assisted suicide'

Involuntary euthanasia - when other people decide that it would be

best if someone's life ends because he or she is not able to make such

a decision.

Active euthanasia - when action is taken to bring a life to an end;

for example a lethal dose of drugs may be administered. This is

against the law.

Positive euthanasia - when action is taken to bring life to an end by

stopping giving treatment so death will be a result.

Euthanasia is a complicated issue now days as there are so many

medical treatments available to keep people alive. If somebody is

badly injured and losses the ability to think and feel forever and

there is no chance of recovering they can still be kept alive for a

long time. If a new born baby is born with abnormality's it can be

artificially kept alive. Euthanasia is not just about killing people,

there is more to it than that. Its deciding when enough is enough and

sometimes it can be kinder to let people go than letting them carry on

being in pain.

The quality of life of the patient is one of the main issues with

euthanasia. If someone can communicate and is not in unbearable pain

then euthanasia would be wrong but if someone can not communicate and

is in unbearable pain then most people would agree euthanasia is the

best option.

The Baptist church in the UK teaches that euthanasia is much like

abortion and raises the same sort of issues - if people have the right