Death. It's a normal thing we can't run away from. Imagine having the choice to die when you want, painlessy. This is called physician assisted suicide and it threatens society by cheapening the value of human life.
Physician assisted suicide (PAS), is becoming more and more prominant around the world. A recent study shows that deaths by assisted suicide globally have increased by 200%.
Phsician assisted suicide should not be legal because of moral issues, it goes against many religious beliefs, and threatens improvement of palliative care.
Despite the fact that PAS is morally wrong, it helps people feel like they are dying with dignity. “It certainly doesn't damage family members and friends who are otherwise helpless to assist their beloved
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“Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of PAS. In fact, a Gallup poll from May 2015 found that "nearly seven in ten Americans (68%) say doctors should be legally allowed to assist terminally ill patients in committing suicide” (Beckman).
PAS gives people the option to die with dignity and make it easier for the family to process. Not only are the families supporting it, over half of the U.S population also supports it
PAS does have some pros, but it also comes with many cons. In order to have an opinion we need to know and understand both sides and points of view.
PAS is non-faithful. When asking Physicians what their thoughts are on PAS, some of them do not support it. In the following quote by Dr. Susmasy, he highlights that PAS is unethical. “I am a physician. Part of my job is to help people die in comfort and with dignity. But I do not want to help you, or your daughter, or your uncle commit suicide. You should not want me to. I urge you to oppose physician-assisted suicide: it rep-resents bad ethical reasoning, bad medicine, and bad policy” (Susmasy
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Patients that have never thought of PAS are now given the inhumane way to die. Author Hendin elaborates, “There is compelling evidence that legalizing assisted suicide undermines efforts to maintain and improve good care for patients nearing the end of life, including patients who never wanted assisted suicide” (Hendin).
When you know your time is coming, typically dying gracefully and “normally” is the way most people want to go. Patients who never intended to get PAS, are now given the option to die irregularly.
Similarly, cancer patients for example, would try to fight for their life. Now given the option to do otherwise, they might pick to just give up. “If physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia, or both, were to become part of the provision of palliative care, many more people would likely decide to forgo palliative care” (Herx) Patients might take the easy route, and choose to stop living life. Life is very valuable. Whether you're sick or not. Many peoples lives have been taken too soon and you shouldn't just stop living life.
Should PAS be legalized? No, PAS should not be