The Issue Of A Physician Assisted Suicide Essay - 1266 Words

Currently in America, terminally-ill patients in most states have only two options: receive treatments (some experimental) or wait for natural death. The third option on the other hand, exists in only five states. For dying patients in Montana, Oregon, Washington, Vermont, and California, they have the option for a physician assisted suicide (PAS). California recently passed the End of Life Option Act, thereby joining Oregon, Washington, and Vermont when it comes to legalizing PAS via legislation. For Montana, PAS is neither legal nor illegal according to a court decision. Judging by the fact that PAS is currently only practiced in five out of fifty states, it is clear that the issue of hastening the death of patients (by their own wishes) remains a hotly debated topic. This paper will proceed to analyze how each of the five states tackled the issues surrounding PAS. When it comes to Montana, as stated earlier, PAS is neither legal nor illegal. According to the website Death with Dig nity, the writer states â€Å"the Montana Supreme Court ruled 5-2, in Baxter v. Montana, that nothing in the state law prohibited a physician from honoring a terminally ill, mentally competent patient’s request by prescribing medication to hasten the patient’s death† (______). Because of the fact that PAS is practiced in Montana thanks to a legal technicality, there are no set guidelines for physicians. Instead, the debates are ongoing when it comes to the status of PAS within the state. Thus far,Show MoreRelatedThe Issue Of Physician Assisted Suicide1488 Words   |  6 Pagesdetermines ‘good’? And the question that is under much debate and discussion: Should anything be done to make it so? That, in the form of physician-assisted suicide (PAS), is one of the pressing topics that faces healthcare today. It is imperative that healthcare professionals, particularly nurses who bridge the divide between physicians and patients, are aware of this issue and its components. Right to Die The right-to-die movement is at the heart of this discussion. Following World War II, many advancesRead MoreThe Ethical Issue Of Physician Assisted Suicide1580 Words   |  7 Pagesand virtue, this paper explores the relevance of Aristotle’s moral philosophy in modern day and will be applied to the contemporary ethical issue surrounding physician assisted suicide. 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This paper will go on to explain one side of this very touchy debate, it will also consider objections from the other side, and ultimately defend the position physician assisted suicide is wrong not only morally but also, ethically. My argument for this thesis is provided below: P1: Physician assisted suicide violates the doctor’sRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide : Controversial Healthcare And Political Realms Alike1218 Words   |  5 Pages Physician-Assisted Suicide Elissa Munoz-Tucker University of Arizona Abstract Physician-assisted suicide is controversial in healthcare and political realms alike. Currently, this end-of-life option is practiced in five states within the United States. Social concerns regarding assisted suicide revolve around ethical quandaries; providing the means to a patient’s death is contradictory to ethical principles of healthcare providers. Political concerns surroundingRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide And Voluntary Euthanasia1348 Words   |  6 PagesPhysician-assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia is still under scrutiny for a number of reasons. â€Å"In spring, 1996, the Ninth and Second Circuits were the first circuit courts in the country to find a constitutional prohibition against laws which make physician-assisted suicide a crime† (Martyn Bourguignon, 1997). New York was one of the states that followed this prohibition. Eventually, The Ninth and Second Circuit, â€Å"allow physician-assisted suicide while attempting to protect individuals from