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JakePorter
Mrs.Stanford
ENG124
15January2016
LegalizePhysicianAssistedSuicide
Peoplethathaveaterminalillnesswithoutacurearegoingtodie,butnotinaquick
gracefulmanner.Theydieinaslowpainfulway.Everyoneknows,oratleastknowsofsomeone
thathashadaterminalillnessandtheyknowthatthereisabsolutelynothingthatcanbedone
aboutitotherthantojustlaydowninahospitalbedorstayathomeandnotdoanything.
Terminalillnessesareunfairandcrueldiseasesthatsomepeopleareunfortunateenoughto
acquire.Theyslowlyteardownthepatient'sbodyandmind.Someexamplesofterminal
illnessesareEbolaHemorrhagicFever,ALS,alsoknownasLouGehrig'sDisease(Kumar
2011),andanytypeofcancercanalsobeterminal.Whilethereisnocureforanyterminal
illness,thefateofthepatientssufferingfromaterminaldiseaseisalreadysealed.Thephysical
painforthemisatahighlevel,almosttoohardforthepatientstobareastheyarebecoming
weaker.Themedicationforthediseasesrarelydoesmuchhelp,onlyprolongsthelivesof
patients.Physicianassistedsuicideforpeoplewithaterminalillnessmustbelegalized,because
theirbodiesandmindsarewitheringawaydaybydayandtheirdeathisinevitable.
Physicianassistedsuicideisdefinedas,Adoctorprescribesalethaldrugandgives
advice,sothatapatientcancommitsuicide,howevertheDoctorcannotpersonallyinjectthe
drug(Wilson2000).Theprocessofassistedsuicide,asonecansee,doesntharmanyoneinany
wayexcludingthepatientwantingtodie.Thedrugmostcommonlyusedforphysicianassisted

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suicideissecobarbital,followedbypentobarbital.Bothdrugspoisonadultsorchildreniftoo
muchofthesubstanceisingested.Thelethaldoseprescribedisninegramsofsecobarbital
tabletsortengramsofpentobarbitalinliquids.However,asofnow,physicianassistedsuicideis
onlylegalinfivestatesincludingOregon,Washington,NewMexico,Montana,andVermont
andafewEuropeancountries(Hartocollis2015).Thisprocedureisstillillegalinallother
fortysixU.S.states,withtheCanadianSupremeCourtbanningitaswell.Physicianassisted
suicideneedstobelegalizedinallfiftystates,sinceitiswhatthemajorityofpeoplewant.Inall
oftheinterviewsconducted,themajorityofpeopleinterviewedwereforphysicianassisted
suicide.Includingtwothirdsofonehundredandfiftyfiveoncologypatientswhowereforboth
physicianassistedsuicideandeuthanasia(Manuel1996).Oncologypatientshavetumorsthat
theymaynotbeabletogetridof,whichisastrongreasonforthemtopushforassistedsuicide.
Thepeopleinterviewedweremorelikelytobeagainstphysicianassistedsuicideduetothefact
thatthepatientshadmorementalanguishthanphysicalpain.Mentalanguishasin,patients
feelinglikeaburdentotheirfamiliesorjustfeelingworthlessingeneral.Outofthreehundred
seventyeightHIVpatientsinterviewed,63%supportedphysicianassistedsuicide,and55%
acknowledgeditasanoptionforthemselves(Breithart1996).Sixtythreepercentisalarge
majority,andasstated,itiswhatthepeoplewantasanoptiontoendtheirsufferingfroma
terminaldisease.Morethanhalfofthepeopleinterviewedwouldthinkofitasaviableoptionin
theirlifeifneeded.Strongpredictorsfromthegroupinterviewedastowhowereforphysician
assistedsuicidehadhigherpsychologicaldistress,experiencewithaterminalillness,are
caucasian,orhadinfrequentornoattendancetoreligiousservices(Breithart1996).Noneofthese
patientswanttosufferwiththeirdiseaseandunderstandthatothersthathaveterminalillnesses

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dontwanttoaswell.Aslongasthepersonandthepeopleintheirlifeareatpeacewiththe
decision,onecantseewhyitisaprobleminsociety.Peopleseemtotaketheirliveseveryday,
andtheyaresufferingfromnothingmorethandepressionorjustatinybitofsadness.Physician
assistedsuicideneedstobelegalizedforthosewhoneedtoendtheirlife.Sowhatsthebigdeal
withsomeonewhowantstoputanendtotheirunbearablephysicalpain?
Theproblemwiththeterminallyillhavingtosufferhasbecomealargelyheateddebate
inAmerica.SomecitizensofNewYorkhaddecidedthattheyneededtostepupandthen
attemptedtolegalizeit.Agroupofdoctorsteamedupwithagroupofterminallyillpatientsto
fighttomakephysicianassistedsuicidelegalbytakingittocourt.Thedoctorshadused
excellentpointsinthefighttolegalizephysicianassistedsuicideincluding,Doctorsareallowed
topulltheplug(stoplifesupport)forsometerminallyillpatientsalready(Hartocollis2015).
Howeverthereislittletonodifferencebetweenthetwo.Thedoctorsalsoproclaimed,Not
beingabletohastendeathfortheterminallypatientsviolatestheequalprotectionclauseofthe
stateconstitution(Hartocollis2015).Whattheyaresayingisthatnotgivingcitizenstheirown
choiceonwhethertheywanttoliveanymoreshouldntbeuptothegovernment.Thatisa
decisionbasedupononesownviewswhichispartofthefirstamendment'sfreedomofchoice
andspeech.Alsoifdoctorsareabletostoplifesupport,whyshouldnttheybeabletohasten
theirdeathstofulfilltheirpatentswants.Thedoctorshadfailedtowinthecaseasphysician
assistedsuicideisnotlegalinNewYork.However,thefightwillnotstoptolegalizephysician
assistedsuicide,notonlyinNewYork,buttherestoftheUnitedStatesaswell.Meaning
hopefullysoon,theterminallyillwillbeabletomakedecisionsfortheirownhealthlegally.

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Lifeisallaboutchoices,meaningeverypersonhastherighttochoosewhattheywantto
dowiththeirlives.Thatshouldinclude,iffittingthenecessaryrequirements,toendone'slife
withaterminalillness.Nohumanshouldhavetosufferthatmuchforthatlong,itisinhumane.
Aslongastheirchoicedoesnotharmanotherperson,thereshouldntbeaproblemwiththeir
choice,thatincludingsuicide.Humanshavetheobligationtorelievethosefellowhumansfrom
suffering(AndreValesquez2014).Thismeaningthathumansarenotsupposedtoletother
humansdieinaslowpainfulmanner.Peoplethathavemoralsandabenignmindwillwantto
helpputthosesufferingoutoftheirmisery.Ifoneknew,orhadaterminalillness,thereisno
questionthattheywouldwanttohelpthepersoninneed.Theywouldhelpinaheartbeat,
especiallyifitwasaclosefriend,orafamilymember.Noonewantstoseeanyonesuffer,butit
escalatesfurthermoreifitisalovedone.Thereismorepassioninwantingtohelp,whetheritbe
helpingthroughmedication,whichthereisnomedicalcureforaterminalillness,orifitis
puttingthatpersonoutoftheirmiserythroughsuicide.Thechoiceshouldntmatteraslongas
theonesufferingishappy,orbenefitting.
Lookingintotheothersideoftheargument,somemaysaythatphysicianassistedsuicide
shouldnotbelegalinanystate.Theyarentbadpeopleforsayingthis,theyjusthavedifferent
beliefs.Somemaysaypeoplehaveamoraldutytopreserveandprotectallhumanlifethrough
everything.Thatitisdisrespectfultohumanlife,toendone'slifeearlierthantheyaresupposed
tobetakenoutoftheworld.Itcouldalsoviolatetherightsofthedoctorsornursesthathaveto
administer/prescribethedrug.Seeingashowtheycouldbepressuredintodoingit,evenifthe
patientdoesntneedtheassistedsuicideasawayaroundhis/hersymptoms.Alongwithdoctors
beingpressuredintoit,doctorscouldpressuretheirpatientsintoaskingforphysicianassisted

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suicide.Sayadoctorbecomesrougeinthehospital,orishavingabadday,thedoctorcould
prescribesecobarbitalandpentobarbitalwhenitisnotneeded.Yet,manycountriesthathave
legalizedphysicianassistedsuicideputaverygoodamountoftrustintheirdoctors,whoareheld
toahighstandard,sotheyearntobeentrustedbycitizens.IfAmericanscanttrusttheirdoctors
withassistedsuicidehowcanAmericanstrusttheirdoctorswithsurgeries?Alsosomemedicines
forterminalillnessesdonthelptheillness,justprolongthedeathoftheill,andthatispreserving
life,butitisnotworthitforthepatientorthefamily.Noonewantstosufferorseealovedone
suffering,sadly,thewaytostopthesufferingisillegalinfortyfiveofthefiftyU.S.states,and
thatneedstochangetohelpmakeournationbetter.
Physicianassistedsuicideforpeoplewithaterminalillnessmustbecomelegal.Itwill
benefitsomanypeople,includingthosewhosebodiesandmindsarewitheringawaydaybyday
anddeathisintheirnearfuture.Manypeoplearediagnosedwithaterminalillnesseveryday,
andthosepeopleknowthattheirliveswillcometoanendshortly.Physicianassistedsuicide
allowsthosepeopletoendtheirliveswithsomedignity,andwhiletheyarestillattheirtop
health.Basedontheinterviewsconductedwithavarietyofpeopleandpatients,themajority
seemstobeallforassistedsuicide.Allowingpatientstoexittheworldpeacefullywithouthaving
aterriblediseasedestroythemfromtheinsideoutbeforetheyleave.Astheyknowitwillhelpto
stopthesufferingofnotonlythepatient,butalsothementaldistressitputsonthefamiliesofthe
patients.Havingtoseetheirfamilymemberwitherawayeverytimetheyseethem.Whichis
somethingtoomanyfamiliesintheU.S.havetogothrough,sincephysicianassistedsuicideis
notlegal.Imagineknowingsomeonewhoisterminallyill,theyareslowlylosingwhatmakes
themthem.Theycantspeakaswell,theystarttolosetheirthoughtseasily,theydontthinkthe

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sameway.Theyareturningintoawholedifferentperson,physicallyandmentally.Thatis
somethingnooneshouldhavetogothrough,whichiswhyphysicianassistedsuicideshould
becomeaviableoptionforthosethatfitthequalifications.Notonlydoesaterminalillnesshurt
thepatient'sfamilymentally,butitalsotakesalotoutoftheirpockets.Payingtheconstant
hospitalbillswilladdup,andthatcouldharmthefamily.Physicianassistedsuicidecouldhelp
thatbycuttingthecostofaterminalillness.Consideringafamilywouldonlyhavetopayforthe
drugsadministeredonetime,insteadofpayingconstantlytokeepthepatientalive.

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WorksCited
Andre,Claire,&ManuelValesquez.AssistedSuicideaRightorWrong?
SantaClara
University.
MarkkulaCenterforappliedEthics.2014Web.3Jan.2016.
Breithart,William,MD,etal.MainContentAreaInterestinPhysicianAssistedSuicideamong
AmbulatoryHIVInfectedPatients.
TheAmericanJournalofPsychiatry
152.242
(1996):npag.Feb1996Web.2Jan2016.
Hartocollis,Anemona.LawsuitseekstolegalizeDoctorAssistedsuicideforTerminallyIll
PatientsinNewYork.NewYorkTimes.
NewYorkTimes
,3,Feb.2015.Web.2Jan.
2016.
Kumar,Deepak."AToZHealthTopics."
:ListofTerminalDiseases
.N.p.,2Nov.2011.Web.2
Jan.2016.
Manuel,J.F.,MD.EuthanasiaandPhysicianAssistedsuicideLancet347.9018(1996)npag.
TheLancet.
ElsevierLimited.29June1996Web.Jan1,2016.
Therighttodie.TheEconomist.
TheEconomistNewspaper
,27June2015.Web.2Jan.2016.
Wilson,KeithG.,etal.AttitudesofTerminallyIllPatientsTowardEuthanasiaandPhysician
AssistedSuicide.
AttitudesofTerminallyIllPatientsTowardEuthanasiaandPhysician
AssistedSuicide
160.16(2000):npag.11Nov.2000web.Jan1,2016.
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