EUTHANASIA

Euthanasia

Euthanasia

Any person who has an incurable illness knows that death is certain. Knowing this reality, the afflicted are torn between the decision of letting the disease take its course or opting for “euthanasia”. The word 'euthanasia' comes from the Greek-eu, “good,” and thanatos, “death. Literally, euthanasia means, “good death”. Euthanasia is also called “mercy killing,” is the act or practice of putting people to death who are suffering from agonizing, fatal diseases or debilitating physical disorders.

Presently, there exist two different kinds of euthanasia: passive and active. Passive euthanasia is when a physician withholds life saving measures or lets a person die naturally. For example, when a son decides to take his mother off a life-support machine and this leads to her death, it would be considered passive euthanasia. On the other hand, active euthanasia occurs when a person causes the death of a person who is incurably ill. An example of this is when an individual proceeds to give a dying patient a deadly injection. Therefore, physician assisted suicide is a type of active euthanasia where the physician is the person that assists in the death of an individual.

Either painlessly putting to death or failing to prevent death from natural causes in cases of terminal illness or irreversible coma. The term comes from the Greek expression for "good death." Technological advances in medicine have made it possible to prolong life in patients with no hope of recovery, and the term negative euthanasia has arisen to classify the practice of withholding or withdrawing extraordinary means (e.g., intravenous feeding, respirators, and artificial kidney machines) to preserve life. Accordingly, the term positive euthanasia has come to refer to actions that actively cause death. The term passive euthanasia is used when certain common methods of treatment, such as antibiotics, drugs, or surgery, are withheld or a large quantity of needed but ultimately lethal pain medication is supplied. By the end of the 20th cent. passive euthanasia was said to be a common practice among U.S. hospitals and physicians. With regard to euthanasia in animals, there are strict rules and guidelines that ensure ethical euthanasia and disposal

A clear distinction should be made between suicide and physician-assisted suicide. Suicide is when a person deliberately ends their life. This happen with a person who is emotionally and mentally unbalanced, but they can be treated for their instability. On the contrary, an assisted death is where all the people involved have well thought-out all the questions and guidelines that include physical, emotional, social, and moral issues

Euthanasia is a very difficult and moral decision, one that a patient must make along with their family and doctors. Euthanasia involves interfering with the gift and privilege of life. A lot of people stand on opposite sides of this issue. A particular kind called physician-assisted suicide is much debated because it poses two questions: is it ethically justified? And, should it be legalized?

Physician-assisted suicide is unethical and unacceptable for a number of reasons and, so it should not be ...