Legalize Physician Assisted Suicide
Latest News:
Hawaii becomes the latest state to legalize PAS! Click here to learn more.
Background
What is Physician Assisted Suicide?
Physician assisted suicide is the process in which a terminally ill patient is prescribed a lethal medication by their physician, that is then taken orally by the patient, NOT administered by their physician.
Again, it is the patient that gives themselves the medication NOT their physician or anyone else. If anyone else were to administer the medication it would cross the line into voluntary active euthanasia, which is illegal nationwide in America.
Having the freedom to undergo PAS is not a legal option for some people and is cause of concern for some terminally ill patients who may be looking over the prospect of the remainder of the life, being one filled with months of agony.
Why should you care?
Getting a diagnosis of a terminal illness is one of the most stomach dropping pieces of news a person may ever receive; your once stable world coming undone. physician assisted suicide offers them a sense of control. Medication in hand, they can choose their time of death when they are ready. Giving them back some sense of control from their terminal illness. Often, a lot of people who elect to undergo physician assisted suicide do not take the medication. For some, feeling they have control is all they want.
Terminal illness vary a lot how fast they progress, as well as how strongly symptoms appear. The most common symptoms terminal ill patients suffer from are pain, depression, anxiety, and fatigue.
Most terminally ill patients are referred to hospice or palliative care, depending on how far their condition has progressed. Both services have similar goals, to ease pain and prepare a patient for death, and are effective for MOST patients.
However, there are patients who find that even with hospice or palliative care their physical and/or mental pain is not reduced.
How would you feel, if you were one of those terminally ill patients or was a member of their family? Would you not be happy knowing there was a way to end your loved one's suffering?
No one wants to see their loved ones suffering, especially while they watch them descend into someone resembling only a shell of their former self.
To prevent someone of sound mind from exercising their freedom to make a decision to possibly end their own life is both unethical and cruel, as it forces them to live in a continuously deteriorating and agonized state.
Who is allowed to undergo Physician Assisted Suicide?
Not just any terminal patient can elect to under go physician assisted suicide as there are a list of requirements that each terminal patient must meet in order to elect to undergo physician assisted suicide in the state of Oregon.
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1st requirement establishes that the person must be an adult, so no children or emancipated minor. This is to ensure that those who do elect to undergo PAS are not as likely to make rash decisions.
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2nd requirement ensures that people from other states do not flock to Oregon from other states or countries to take part in 'suicide tourism'. Which would not only place increased strain on Oregon's medical systems but also place a larger burden on Oregon taxpayers.
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3rd requirement is critical to see if people are mentally fit to make the decision. If the physician suspects that the patient is impaired psychically then their patient must be referred for a psychological examination to ensure their decision to undergo PAS is not due to a mental health condition.
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4th requirement ensures that a patient's death is imminent. This is important because while slim, it is possible that the terminally ill patient may recover and/or a new treatment may be released that could cure them.
The person must meet the following:
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18 years of age or older
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Resident of Oregon
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Capable of making and communicating health care decisions for him/herself
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Diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to death within six (6) months.
'Checkpoint' Image courtesy of PinsDaddy.com
Where is Physician Suicide already legal?
Currently there are seven states and the District of Columbia that allow terminally ill patients to undergo physician assisted suicide.
Those seven states are: Oregon, Washington, Vermont, Montana, Colorado, and starting January 1st, 2019 Hawaii will be the latest state to legalize physician assisted suicide.
Image courtesy of Death with Dignity National Center