Doctor assisted suicide has been hotly debated for years. While it is still illegal in most parts of the world, some people think it is a basic human right to decide when they want to die, says BalancedPolitics.org. Many physicians have been prosecuted for assisting patients in ending their lives, the most famous being Dr. Kevorkian. There are many aspects of doctor assisted suicide to take into account before taking a stand on the issue.
Definition
Doctor assisted suicide occurs in a medical setting and is carried out by helping a person who is suffering from a terminal illness die on her own terms. Usually this involves the use of a drug that stops a person's heart from beating and does not cause any pain. Many people ask for this type of help, but are turned down because it is against the law in most places, says The Euthanasia Research and Guidance Organization (ERGO). Doctor assisted suicide is very different from simple assisted suicide because a doctor helps carry out the process, whereas in other cases a person is assisted by a family member or friend.
Reasons
There are many reasons why a person or their family may seek out a doctor to help end that person's life. The biggest is a slow and painful illness, such as cancer, that will kill a person eventually. Many people are in such agony that they just want to be done with it. According to BalancePolitics.org, some people seek doctor assisted suicide because they want to die with dignity rather than wasting away. It also helps reduce health care costs that family members will have to take responsibility for at the time of death, and in some cases ensures that a dying person's organs can be donated to others.
Controversy
There is a big controversy regarding whether doctor assisted suicide should be legal or not. People in opposition to it say that it violates the Hippocratic Oath every doctor takes, which says that doctors are to do no harm. However, "Time" magazine points out that many doctors don't take this oath anymore. In addition, people against the practice say that it devalues human life and does not allow for a cure or an alternative treatment to be found. Finally, those opposed say that making doctor assisted suicide legal can lead to an abuse of the system where it is used when not really needed, when the parameters around which it is performed can be interpreted differently by different physicians. Those in favor of doctor assisted suicide say that people should be free to choose death when they are ready, especially if they are going to die anyway.
Laws
While suicide itself is not a crime, most countries do not allow doctor assisted suicide. Some countries, such as Finland and France, don't have specific laws against it, and will charge a person with manslaughter or accessory to murder if it occurs, says ERGO. As of 1997, Oregon is the only state in America that allows doctor assisted suicide. Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands allow assisted suicide and doctor assisted suicide. ERGO says that in Oregon, two doctors must be present while the death is being carried out, and a psychologist must be called in if the person needs it.
Religion
Religious views play a large role in opinions on doctor assisted suicide. Many religions condemn the practice because it violates the commandant which says that a person should not kill. These religions feel that helping a person die is murder and goes against divine laws. However, ReligiousTolerance.org notes that a few religious groups, such as Unitarian Universalists, support this practice.
