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Pros And Cons Of Physician Assisted Suicide

1093 Words5 Pages

A 1991 General Social Survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center showed that out of the 1,024 people in the survey, 70 percent believed that physician-assisted suicide should be legalized in the case that the patient is suffering from a terminal illness. “More commonly known as assisted suicide (or physician-assisted suicide), this practice involves helping a person who is hopelessly ill to end his or her own life.” Assisted suicide has been a lingering issue in the United States: to legalize or not to legalize? There are myriads of pros and cons of this topic, arguments which are essential to both sides and not to be sacrificed in favor of the other position. While proponents of assisted suicide believe that patients should enjoy the right to die with dignity, opponents affirm that legalizing assisted …show more content…

In the status quo, one can also engage in passive euthanasia, where he/she refuses treatment, such as being taken off life support. One may also attempt painful, violent, or uncertain methods of suicide. Patients can obviously choose to die in a passive way that could be long and miserable, or resort to extreme methods that could be painful or harmful and potentially ineffective. They should be permitted to obtain the same results more comfortably, if that complies with their desires, since it would minimize their own and their family’s suffering. There are many individuals who are afflicted from terminal illnesses which deteriorate their physical and mental abilities, and may be in constant pain and retrogression. These individuals should be allowed to choose assisted suicide, since treatments could be costly and only postponing their death by a slight margin. Consequently, demographics from countries who already endorse this practice express many concerns on the repercussions of legalizing assisted

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1376 Words | 6 Pages

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