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Assisted death

Assisted death. The Debate Behind the Ethics of the Practice. What is it. Assisted death incorporates both physician assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia.

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Assisted death

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  1. Assisted death The Debate Behind the Ethics of the Practice

  2. What is it • Assisted death incorporates both physician assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia. • PAS is defined as “Making a means of suicide available to a patient with knowledge of the patient's intention to kill himself or herself. The final act resulting in death is undertaken by the patient” • Euthanasia is defined as “Someone other than the patient performs an act (for example, administering a lethal injection) with the intent to end the patient's life.”

  3. Why this is important • PAS and euthanasia supporters contend that terminally ill patients should have the right to end suffering through a dignified death. • Many believe that the right to die is protected by constitutional safeguards similar to that of marriage, procreation, and refusal of life-saving medical treatment.

  4. Timeline • Nov. 1994 - Oregon Death with Dignity Act Passed- The Oregon Death With Dignity Act is passed, becoming the first law in American history permitting physician-assisted suicide.  • June 26, 1997 - US Supreme Court Rules There Is No Right to Die: The Supreme Court rules in Washington v. Glucksberg and Vacco v. Quill that there is not a constitutional right to die. 1997 • Nov. 4, 2008 - Washington Death with Dignity Act Is Passed: Washington voters approve the Washington Death with Dignity Act (Initiative 1000) making Washington the second US state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. 

  5. Dec. 5, 2008 - State of Montana Legalizes Physician-Assisted Suicide:Montana district judge Dorothy McCarter rules in the case of Baxter v. State of Montana that Montana residents have the legal right to physician assisted suicide, thus making it the third US state to legalize physician aid in dying. • Jan. 13, 2014 - Physician-Assisted Suicide Ruled Legal by New Mexico Judge- A ruling by Second Judicial Judge Nan G. Nash prohibits the prosecution of physicians who help competent terminally ill patients end their lives • Oct. 5, 2015 - California Becomes Fifth State to Legalize Physician-Assisted Suicide- "Caught between conflicting moral arguments, Gov. Jerry Brown, a former Jesuit seminary student, on Monday signed a measure allowing physicians to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to terminally ill patients who want to hasten their deaths. • California becomes the fifth state to allow so-called physician-assisted suicide, following Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Vermont. • Nov. 8, 2016 - Colorado Legalizes Physician-Assisted Suicide- "CO-106 made assisted death legal 'among patients with a terminal illness who receive a prognosis of death within six months.’

  6. Feb. 18, 2017 - DC Becomes Seventh Jurisdiction in United States to Legalize Physician-Assisted Suicide-"The District of Columbia's Death with Dignity Act takes effect Saturday as Republicans opponents on Capitol Hill were unable to block the new law. • Apr. 5, 2018 - Hawaii Legalizes Physician-Assisted Suicide- "Hawaii Gov. David Ige signed legislation on Thursday [Apr. 5, 2018] to make the island state the eighth U.S. jurisdiction where physician-assisted suicide is legal

  7. Articles • Right leaning: • The National Review article by Wesley Smith. • “The Wages of Death.” • Addressed a previous critical article he had written about PAS/euthanasia. • Discussed his continued disapproval of the procedure. • Says it ultimately causes more harm than good • The Atlantic article by Ira Byock • “Physician-Assisted Suicide Is Not Progressive.” • While she is a self-proclaimed democratic progressive she writes about her concern over the law being seen as “progressive” • Instead of legalizing PAS/euthanasia we should instead try to repeal regulations requiring those with illnesses to give up treatments for hospice, etc.

  8. Left leaning: • CNN article by Robert Klitzman • “The terminally ill should be allowed to die” • Details the story of a man with terminal cancer who’s only wish was to die on his own terms through PAS/euthanasia but didn’t have the opportunity to do so with the current laws • Ends by stating he hopes he never has to give up the right to leave this world on his own terms • The New York Times article by Haider Warraich • “On Assisted Suicide, Going Beyond ‘Do Not Harm’” • Explains that we can no longer look to the Hippocratic oath for answers in this modern age • Argues that with refusal of treatment already being allowed for patients why not give them a less harmful way out?

  9. Neutral • Jessica Zitter for The New York Times article “Should I Help My Patients Die?” • Discusses her internal struggle as a doctor in California under the new laws. • Entails stories of cases where she had to decide between right and wrong for the patient • Discusses both her pro and cons for the law • While she agrees we should have the right to choose she also believes the laws in place now are no clear enough • Need more regulations for dosages, deciding who is applicable, and setting laws for these regulations rather than leaving it to the individual hospitals to decide • Sites that even now that it is legal many insurance companies and hospitals do no provide coverage or perform the procedure.

  10. Conclusion • I plan to try and zone in on how doctors in the practice tend to feel towards the law and its conflict with the Hippocratic oath/ the “do no harm” mentality.

  11. Sources • Byock, Ira. “Physician-Assisted Suicide Is Not Progressive.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 17 July 2013, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/10/physician-assisted-suicide-is-not-progressive/264091/. • “Euthanasia - ProCon.org.” Should Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legal?, euthanasia.procon.org/. • Klitzman, Robert. “The Terminally Ill Should Be Allowed to Die.” CNN, Cable News Network, 28 July 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/07/28/opinions/physician-assisted-suicide-opinion-klitzman/index.html. • Smith, Wesley J. “The Wages of Death.” National Review, National Review, 10 May 2018, www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2018/05/28/euthanasia-legalization-world-growing-bad/. • Warraich, Haider Javed. “On Assisted Suicide, Going Beyond 'Do No Harm'.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Nov. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/11/05/opinion/on-assisted-suicide-going-beyond-do-no-harm.html. • Zitter, Jessica Nutik. “Should I Help My Patients Die?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Aug. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/08/05/opinion/sunday/dying-doctors-palliative-medicine.html?module=inline.

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