Physician Assisted Suicide in the United States

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Recommended: Objections to physician assisted suicide

When diagnosed with an incurable disease one may know they have no chance of living. Such diseases may be cancer, ALS, and even Alzheimer’s. Instead o suffering through the horrors and pain, a patient may suggest Physician Assisted Suicide to their doctor. Physician Assisted Suicide is defined as a prescription, written by the doctor(s), that if ingested will end the patient’s life. This process differs from Euthanasia, since Euthanasia is when the doctor of physician will inject the patient with a lethal injection. The process of PAD is easier for most patients since they could choose to die wherever they want. May it be their home or at the hospital, they get the rightful choice. Around the United States Physician Assisted Suicide is a controversial topic that is viewed and discussed either negatively or positively depending on a person’s viewpoint.
If a person is termed terminally in and has less than six months to live should they have the right and choice to initiate an early death? According to Montana, Oregon, Vermont and Washington any ill person who has no mental disabilities is allowed to participate in Physician-Assisted Suicide. Of course the willing person must be at least eighteen years old and have six or less months to live, but all in all they have the human choice to initiate their own death.
In March of 2009 a law in Washington was passed that passed “The Death With Dignity Act,” that was implanted in the Seattle Cancer Care. This act contains a numerous amounts of safeguards; they make sure those who are willingly to participate in this act fully understand what they are getting themselves into. For example a participant must be voluntary, no mental illness, no advertising the program and no patients who ...

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...s a person to die with dignity and not humiliation. Another important aspect is a participants organs could be saved and used to help others who have a better chance of living. Lastly, nurses and doctors will be able to focus on other patients who have a higher chance of living.
A person who is deemed terminally ill should have the choice to end their life when they choose. If physician assisted suicide, also known as PAD was illegal in the forty-eight other states the suicide rates might be lowered. Under the constitutional law, a person is an independent being with the right to self- determination. Meaning the person should be able to make a self choice even if it does lead to death. If PAS was considered legal a dying person would not have to face a slow, painful and humiliating period of awaiting their biological death. They would be allowed to die at peace.

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