Physician Assisted Suicide Analysis

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With the steady improvements in modern medicine there are many treatments to ease the pain and suffering of terminally ill patients, but for some a much more permanent remedy is under consideration. In recent years there has been a steady increase of patients requesting to be euthanized by their physicians. These individuals are asking to end their lives peacefully before they are incapacitated by their ailments. In most states and countries around the world, the right to die with dignity is constantly denied because of religious stipulations and legality issues. However, some places have realized patients have the right to live and fight for their lives as well as end it. Physician assisted suicide should be legalized globally to ensure that …show more content…

Countries throughout South America, Europe, and Asia, and states throughout America have come to legalize euthanasia by not attempting to determine how much pain a person can endure. In the US legal measures such as the Death with Dignity Act of Oregon and Washington have been made to keep the terminally ill patient’s life from being unnecessarily miserable. In Vermont, a similar law was proposed and passed under act thirty-nine of the End of Life Choices. In Montana, physician assisted suicide was legalized after the Baxter v. Montana case, when terminally ill Robert Baxter decided to end his life with the assistance of his doctors.The court found that under the Montana Constitution a death with dignity right did in fact exist. Other global legal provisions include those of Belgium, which has has legal physician assisted suicide since September of 2002, which requires two physicians and psychologist to be apart of the process. As of May 10th, 2010 the Colombian Constitutional Court outlines the terminal conditions that would make it legal to terminate their lives, these include: AIDS, cancer, liver failure, etc. In 2002, the Netherlands officially legalized euthanasia, even though it was being permitted since the 1980s. All of the laws and provisions made to legalize physician assisted suicide were made with the patient’s autonomy right in mind to save their families from emotional distress and financial instability. These governments realized that patients have the right to determine their treatment options and if that means death than they also have the right to die humanely and with dignity. Physicians as well as families recognize that in the face of death, those who are terminally ill lose hope in life and should be supported in their

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