Professional Documents
Culture Documents
the
Incurable?
Euthanasia and Physician-
Assisted Suicide
Monday February 27th, 7:00-8:30,
Community Room, 201 Municipal
Building, 243 S. Allen Street
Introduction
The Regulations
In the United States alone, 37 states have
instilled laws prohibiting physician assisted suicide.
In 1997, Oregon became the first state to legalize
physician assisted suicide under the Death with
Dignity Act, which permits terminally ill patients to
self-administer lethal drugs. The three most
frequently mentioned endoflife concerns reported
by Oregon residents who took advantage of the
Death with Dignity Act in 2015 were a decreased
ability to participate in activities that made life enjoyable, a reduction of autonomy and
independence, and a loss of dignity. During 2015, there were 218 people in the state who
were approved and received the lethal prescription medicines to end their own life. Of
that 218, 132 terminally ill patients ultimately made the decision to ingest the
medication, resulting in their death. According to the state of Oregon Public Health
Divisions survey, the majority of the participants, 78%, were 65 years of age or older.
Today, there are six states in which aid in dying is legal, including Oregon, Montana,
Colorado, California, Washington, and Vermont. On an international level, physician
assisted suicide is legal with regulations in, Switzerland, Canada, Luxembourg, Germany,
and the Netherlandseach of these with their own varying rules applying to assisted
suicide.
While most states and countries have not legalized physician assisted suicide, the
few that have are enforcing fairly strict protocols. In the United States, a series of three
written requests, two oral and one written, a minimum of 15 days apart are required to
receive the lethal drugs. The physician must also be licensed and refer the patient to an
additional licensed professional in mental health. Alternatively, in Canada the protocol is
fairly similar except they allow any ill patient to request physician assisted suicide, while
in the United States the patient must have no more than 6 months left to live.
Summary
Given the three approaches listed, we believe that it is possible to come to a
reasonable conclusion about the topic of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. One
of the most important things to remember in this discussion is the distinction between
euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. While they both have the same end result,
the journey to that final decision can make a difference on someones perspective on this
issue. Another important thing to note when discussing any issue regarding literal life
and death, is to understand that it is a sensitive topic. Sensitive as it may be, we have to
be willing to talk about tough topics as a community.
As for the topic of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide, there are real-life
case studies that can be analyzed. The fact that countries like the Netherlands, Belgium,
Columbia, and Luxembourg all have comparatively lenient euthanasia laws gives
qualitative evidence for one side of the issue3. However, there are more countries than
not that have stricter rules for euthanasia; less so with physician assisted suicide
because of its inherently regulated nature. As with many political, social, and economic
issues, the answer is often found within the gray area. The question here most likely
relates to regulations and what is acceptable and in what situations; even this can be
subject to debate.
Although euthanasia and physician assisted suicide can be both sensitive and
difficult to understand, there are many resources devoted to better understand them and
discuss the issues associated with them. Please check the brochure for resources
regarding additional information about these issues.
Works Cited
1
"Fast Facts (Assisted Suicide)." Fast Facts (Assisted Suicide) Wisconsin Right to Life.
N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2017. <http://wrtl.org/assisted-suicide/fast-facts-assisted-
suicide/>
2
Lipka, Michael. "5 Facts about Americans' Views on Life-and-death Issues." Pew
Research Center. N.p., 07 Jan. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.
<http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/01/07/5-facts-about- americans-views-
on-life-and-death-issues/>
3
"Physician-Assisted Suicide Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 7 June 2016. Web. 15
Feb. 2017.
<http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/26/us/physician-assisted-suicide-fast-
facts/index.html>
4
Cook, Michael. "Oregon Releases Its 2015 death with Dignity Stats." BioEdge. N.p., 20
Feb. 2016. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.
<https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/oregon-releases-its-2015-death-with-dignity-
stats/11761>
5
"Get the Facts on Assisted Dying." Dying With Dignity Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb.
2017.
<http://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/get_the_facts>
6
"19 Great Voluntary Euthanasia Statistics." HRFnd. N.p., 31 Dec. 2014. Web. 15 Feb.
2017.
<http://healthresearchfunding.org/19-great-voluntary-euthanasia-statistics/>
7
Vega, Charles P., and Marcia Frellick. "The Debate of Physician-Assisted Suicide: The
Pros and Cons." Medscape, WebMD, 10 Mar. 2016,
<www.medscape.org/viewarticle/859347.>
8
CBSNews. "The Cost of Dying." CBS News. CBS Interactive, 03 Dec. 2010. Web. 23 Feb.
2017.
9
Forster, Katie. "Dutch Consider Extending Assisted Dying Laws to Those Who 'feel Their
Life Is Complete'." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 13 Oct.
2016. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.
10
Justitie, Ministerie Van Veiligheid En. "Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and Non-
resuscitation on Request - Euthanasia." Euthanasia | Government.nl. Ministerie Van
Algemene Zaken, 05 Oct. 2016. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.
11
Laville, Sandra. "Diane Pretty Dies in the Way She Always Feared." The Telegraph.
Telegraph Media Group, 13 May 2002. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.
12
"Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network." OPTN: Organ Procurement and
Transplantation Network - OPTN. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.