The Pros And Cons Of Assisted Death

In the modern world, all humans have the right to live their lives as they chose to do, as long as it does not break any law. In Canada, the Charter defines these rights as an individual's own freedom in terms of freedom of speech, freedom to work, freedom to travel and any other basic structures that does not allow infringing on their human rights. Assisted dying arrives from the greek word Euthanasia - good death, or the practice of ending a life intentionally to relieve pain and suffering.

Assisted dying has been an issue debated since the start of the 20th century. Many countries did not make it legal until towards the end or the mid 20th century. In Canada, assisted death was illegal under the criminal code as a form of culpable homicide.

In the United States, only some states have laws that allow assisted death. Usually, two physicians have to agree that the individual in question has less than six months to live and is mentally sound. The most commonly used drug is secobarbital, a barbiturate that induces sleep and eventually death by slowing the brain and nervous system. It is usually prescribed in the form of about 100 capsules that must be individually opened and mixed into liquid--a process advocates say averts accidental overdoses (Alohas and goodbyes; Assisted dying). However, only few out of the 52 states in the US allow assisted death. This mainly constitutes to public approval. In 1947, 37% Americans approved of “doctor-assisted deaths,” where as the number had jumped to around 75% by the mid-1990’s (Gallup). Gallup also found that those who oppose assisted death usually belong or hold strong ties to religion and/or culture. The contrast is clear as 55% church goers support assisted death compared to 87% of adults who do not go to

One of the points of the argument is that doctors are trained to save lives, not end them. They are working in a system that puts curing above caring (Han). After the Supreme Court of Canada approved physician assisted death in Canada, critics argued that this law prolonged the pain and illnesses of patients. The law required that death can only be approved if death is reasonably foreseeable, which leaves those with painful conditions to wait until their disease progresses (Nuttall). Nuttall claims that critics argued that this law catered to the needs of the doctors rather than those of the patients. However, those who support assisted death argue that since the right of an individual is protected from birth, they also have the right to choose how they go and relieve themselves from further suffering and pain. They argue that time and money is spent for those who usually have a few months left. This leaves the patient as well as their loved ones in pain so assisted death lets them go without any pain in a matter of few