Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Overview

The issue that i have choosen to research is the controversy surrounding assisted suicide. Assisted suicide is the process in which an individual, who may otherwise be incapable, is provided with the means (drugs or other aids and equipment) to commit suicide. The issue at hand however is the legality of it.Aid in dying is legal in several jurisdictions, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and American states of Oregon (via the Oregon Death with Dignity Act), Washington (by Washington Initiative 1000), and Montana (through a trial court ruling). Many in favor of assisted suicde believe that physicians have an obligation to relieve pain and suffering and to promote the dignity of dying patients in their care and the principle of patient bodily integrity requires that physicians must respect patients’ competent decisions to forgo life-sustaining treatment. However those opposing believe that those who desire an assisted suicide while being medically treated are suffereing from slight, treatable depression and that most request to end their life due to pain however they already have a right to refuse unwanted medical treatment that results in this pain. The reason i choose this topic is purly because of interest. Ever since i watched a documentary on this issue i have been intrigued to know more. The question i will be disecting in my paper is: Should physician-assisted suicide be legalized for patients?
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2 comments:

  1. SuzyFebruary 25, 2009 at 7:35 AM

    This is definitley an interesting topic. The controversey surrounding it makes it hard to make decisions on which side to take. Do you think it should be made legal? They laws you mentioned definitely support argument. I commented your pro con blog wondering if you have heard of any other legislation or states that attempted to pass laws. If it helps, i found an article about Vermont trying to make it legal many years ago.

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  2. Michelle KFebruary 25, 2009 at 7:37 AM

    I really like your topic, I've actually considered the same issue myself. It seems like someone at the end-stages of a disease has the right to stop their treatment, so why don't they have the right to just end their suffering sooner? That's kind of like hospice programs, which help the patient die with less pain by providing them with painkillers and making them more comfortable, rather than treating the disease. I think your paper will be very interesting, and I'm really curious about which side you're going to take.

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