The Current Options Are Not Enough
To begin with, the most important reason that physician-assisted suicide should be legalized in the rest of the states is because the options in place right now may not be enough to completely get rid of the pain or suffering of the patient. Most patients who receive proper palliative care such as hospice experience little to no pain, but there are cases in which even the best efforts of skilled physicians cannot suppress the pain or suffering the patient is experiencing. “Sometimes it is a particularly vexing pain that does not respond to standard treatment, and other times it might be dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, or foul smelling wounds; the list of potentially intractable physical symptoms can go on.” Not only this, but many patients experience all sorts of emotional pain. Emotional pain is much more diverse and there is not much that can be done to help diminish emotional pain or suffering. A patient could be experiencing emotional suffering because of their religious stand point, the financial situation of their family, the thought of dying, and much more. Places that offer palliative care such as hospice will often bring in others that can help ease the emotional pain of the patient, but there is only so much that can be done.
Autonomy
The most fundamental reason why physician assisted suicide should be legalized is the belief in autonomy. The United States was founded on freedom and the rights of the individual, yet the freedom of an individual concerning his or her own death is severely limited. “They consider that, as every human being has a legitimate right regarding its own death and the manner of this death, the medical assisted suicide is a last act of freedom of the man who refuses the show of his own decay and degrading.” The American Medical Association opposes the idea of physician-assisted suicide. In fact physicians are required to take an oath that includes the statement: “I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion toward that effect.” Much of what the American Medical Association practices is based on ethics. If you take the above statement, this statement is made because the American Medical Association believes that everyone practicing medicine should be doing so only to help people and should never, under any circumstances, harm a person. This idea is ethical and for the most part makes of good medical practice, but it is not perfect. There are too many different possibilities of situations to govern a whole field of practice on an absolute statement such as this. There should be accompanying conditional statements that apply to the minority situations. Physician-assisted suicide would be an example in which by physically harming a patient’s body and putting them to death would actually benefit the person. This would benefit the person because of an end to suffering of the individual as was discussed earlier. Also physician-assisted suicide is an act of individual liberty and should that should not be prevented.
Personal Dignity
For many patients, physician-assisted suicide is not only a relief to the pain, but a way to maintain personal dignity. When suffering from a terminal illness and slowly approaching death a person’s body slowly degrades. As this happens the person becomes more dependent on others around them. This includes everyone from the medical professionals to family members. This dependency on others can be very tough on a patient. The patient may feel that they are no longer in control of their own being. Physician assisted suicide is thought of as the last remaining option that keeps the individual in control when so many other things are fading away.
Another Option Is Needed
When discussing the freedoms of the individual regarding one’s own death, the current freedoms should be examined. As mentioned before the option to deny life support and even the consuming of foods and liquids are available to any patient. This is possible because of the belief in the right to bodily integrity. This means that “patients have a right to determine what is done to their bodies, and any bodily invasion requires the patient’s permission.” So a patient is able to decide to end their life by denying help from a physician. Again this choice would be very difficult and would result in more pain and suffering then the current state of the patient. The patient would slowly deteriorate until the body is no longer able to function, resulting in death.
If a patient is able to die by quitting any and all forms of life sustaining activities a patient should also be able to choose to have a physician assist in hastening their death. A patient in this situation obviously no longer has a desire to live so instead of suffering through a long deteriorating death; wouldn't it be better if a patient could ingest a lethal substance prescribed by a physician that would result in a quick painless death? The goal of all those in charge of helping a terminally ill patient is to do the best they can to get rid of pain and suffering. In a specific situation where the patient desires death physician-assisted suicide would be the most efficient way to get rid of all pain and suffering and to provide the patient with exactly what is desired.
If a patient is able to die by quitting any and all forms of life sustaining activities a patient should also be able to choose to have a physician assist in hastening their death. A patient in this situation obviously no longer has a desire to live so instead of suffering through a long deteriorating death; wouldn't it be better if a patient could ingest a lethal substance prescribed by a physician that would result in a quick painless death? The goal of all those in charge of helping a terminally ill patient is to do the best they can to get rid of pain and suffering. In a specific situation where the patient desires death physician-assisted suicide would be the most efficient way to get rid of all pain and suffering and to provide the patient with exactly what is desired.