Uthanasia

Thousands of people suffer from the effects of cancer in the United States. Approximately 3,000 people die each year from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease in Washington State alone. The pain and suffering that people go through with these diseases and their side effects is monumental. Any loved one that has been diagnosed with cancer or Alzheimer’s, would a family member not want to end his or her pain and suffering as quickly as possible' Could they stand to see a loved one go through that misery, just waiting to die' Who could believe for a moment that they would' That is why any person with a terminal disease has the right to end his or her life the way he or she so chooses. They have a right to die. Euthanasia is the painless killing of a person who has a painful, incurable disease or incapacitating disorder. Most legal systems consider it murder, though in many jurisdictions a physician may lawfully decide not to prolong the patient's life or may give drugs to relieve pain even if he or she shortens the patient's life. Euthanasia was legalized in The Netherlands in 2001 and in Belgium in 2002. In 1997 Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to decriminalize physician-assisted suicide. Washington State and Montana State have since enacted The Right To Die Acts in 2009. The debate for this issue is widening and becoming more typical. As people are living longer lives and medical advances are made, people are living longer through these horribly painful diseases. These diseases would have been a death sentence decades ago. For many it still is. The first case of Euthanasia in the United States was involving a lady by the name of Janet Adkins. She was stricken with Alzheimer’s and she was determined to die “before Alzheimer’s peeled her away, layer by layer.” The very controversial doctor, Jack Kevorkian, assisted her in her “suicide.” He was the pioneer of this movement of dying with dignity. They called him Dr. Death. Some people called him a saint, including Janet’s family. Jack Kevorkian was once a very promising doctor and pathologist. After this he was not even able to obtain a job in any medical profession. In 1998 he began to help another man who was suffering from ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. This case was different though. In the end of the other cases he had assisted with, the dying people had administered the lethal doses themselves, thus being a suicide. In the case of the ALS patient, Dr. Kavorkian administered the lethal dose. He also, quite foolishly, video taped the entire ordeal and it aired on a 60 Minutes news show in November 1998. The death had taken place in September. He dared authorities, during this airing, to arrest him, or bring charges against him. In March 1999, he was brought up on charges of first-degree homicide. Because his license to practice medicine had been revoked eight years earlier, he had not even been allowed to have the lethal medicine in his possession. Eventually he fired his legal team and represented himself. He was found guilty of all charges and was sentenced to serve 10 to 25 years. He was paroled after serving 8 1/2 years and although he promised to resume in which he left off, today he campaigns to have the laws changed in the United States. He has never again personally aided a person in his or her death. Because this came to the forefront, the two states of Oregon and Washington have adopted legislature regarding The Right to Die. Oregon’s was passed October 1997. They refer to it as Physician-Assisted Suicide or PAS. In order to qualify to receive a prescription for medication to end their life, a person must be terminally ill with six months or less to live, and a second physician's opinion regarding diagnosis and prognosis is required. The first step in the process is a verbal request to begin, and then a 15-day waiting period begins. Although a mental health consultation is not required, either physician can request an evaluation by a psychiatrist or psychologist. It is also kept a private matter between patient and physician; therefore notification of family or friends is not required. After the 15-day waiting period, a written request combined with another oral request is obtained, and then a 48-hour waiting period begins. The prescription, generally barbiturates and anti-nausea medication, is given to the terminally ill person and taken by mouth. Washington States was passed in March 2009. The same restrictions that apply to Oregon States also apply to Washington and Montana. There have been numerous patients who have sought to use the programs. Below you will see the statistics of Washington’s first year. There have been 63 prescriptions dispensed and 36 have been used. Most had terminal cancer of one kind or another. Of those, 47 have died after ingesting the toxic combination and seven have died naturally from their ailment. [pic] [pic] On this chart the numbers 1 thru 11 represent each year of 1999 thru 2009. The chart shows the numbers for the total prescriptions, lethal deaths, natural deaths and people who are still living after requesting the prescription. Obviously those still living chose not to take the lethal dose. The nature of the debate regarding euthanasia is that there is a change in which Americans view death and the way they are dealing with it. The debate surrounds ethics and if it is ethical to commit suicide, for one to take their own life. Even more controversial is the idea of someone helping a person commit suicide. Is it right to put others to death at their own request' Obviously death is nothing new. The end of life, as we know it, has been happening for millions of years. What has changed is the thinking of how it is to transpire. Many people believe it should come naturally, that it should be left in God’s hands and we should let nature take its course. Death has changed though. Because of the changes in medical and technical advancement, many of the diseases that historically have killed people are no longer a threat to most. Modern medicine has made advances in the treatment of terminal diseases. Life expectancy now is much longer than what it was. Most people now will live past the age of 80. Many years ago life expectancy was 65 – 70. At that time, most people died at home, surrounded by family. Nowadays more people are dying in institutions such as hospitals and long-term care facilities. In many instances and more than likely, they are being kept alive by tubes, regulators, and machines, living months, and even years longer than expected. But how alive does anyone really think they are' Lets take the debate over Terri Schiavo. She was a person in a persistent vegetative state and her case or battle went on for seven years. The battle revolved around whether or not life support should be removed. Her husband argued for her to be let go and that she was not living. He knew her final wishes and he believed she would not have wanted to live her life this way. Her parents thought otherwise. She had been institutionalized for 15 years. Her husband finally won the battle of her feeding tube being removed and she finally passed. The controversy here was the lack of a living will. If there had been legal documentation in place, would there have been such a long battle between the husband and parents' This brings up the importance of such legal documentation. What does a person need to have in place to ensure their end of life decisions will be carried out according to his or her wishes' Advanced Health Care Directives or Living Wills are written instructions given by individuals specifying what actions should be taken for their health in the event that they are no longer able to make those decisions because of their illness or incapacity. With a living Will one can also leave directives regarding medical care and with a POLST form a person can leave instruction to resuscitate or sustain life. In the Netherlands there is a legal document called an Euthanasia Directive. Patients and potential patients can specify the circumstances in which they would choose euthanasia for themselves. With the Right to Die Acts already in place in the United States it probably will not be long before it adopts this also. There is no right way or wrong way to die. If a person can choose the way they live his or her life why is it not all right for him or her to choose how they die' When loved ones advocate the terminally ill choosing their right to die, it is their way of restoring dignity to the shattered lives and bodies of those loved ones. The statistics of Oregon and Washington show that this measure is wanted and used. In the end, it should still be left up to the patient. They should have the last word and it ought not to be something that is forced upon them. As long as it is managed under very tightly controlled conditions and doctors are properly trained to carry out the procedure, should it not be legal' All people have rights and they should have the right to choose to die with dignity. This is why any person with a terminal disease has the right to end his or her life the way he or she chooses.