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KimAndrade,DarlingDuong,JennyNguyen,VannaNguyen,KarinaPerez

10December2015
Griffin
Period3
PhysicianAssistedSuicideShouldbeLegal
Atayoungage,IexperiencedmyauntgoingthroughcancerandIwatchedhersufferin
painforthreeyears.SeveraltimesshescreamedoutinagonythatshewantedtodieandI
watchedmyfamilystreamedwithtearsasshesuffered.Aftershedied,herhusbandwas
drowningindebtforyearsduetoallthemedicalexpenses.Nooneshouldbeleftwiththeburden
ofpayingoffhospitaldebtsorshouldseelovedonesgoingthroughyearsofpainknowingthey
wanttodie.Thesolutiontostoppingthepainanddebtistoallowdoctorshelpassistedsuicide,
whichisnotyetlegal.Physicianassistedsuicideshouldbeavailabletopatientswhowanttoend
theirlife.Insteadofleavingahugedebttolovedonesandallowingpatientstosuffer,physician
assistedsuicideshouldbelegalizedforthefollowingreasons.
Asmedicineadvances,thehumanlifespanextends,yetsometimesthisisntapositive
aspect.Theuseofmedicinemakesitsothatweonlyprolongtheinevitableandmakelivinga
torturefortheterminallyill.Patientsmaylivelonger,buttheirqualityoflifeisterribleandsome
patientsshowonlyraresignsoflifeandconsciousness.Theyarepumpedfullofdrugsandarent
evenawareoftheirenvironmentortheirsurroundings,allwhiletheyslowlydeteriorate.Surely,
agreatnumberoftheterminallyillunderstandthattheirillnessisadeathsentenceandwishto
endtheirlifeinacontrolled,securefashionandwithdignity.Yetwhenphysicianassisted
suicideisntanoption,andthepainisjusttoounbearable,thepatientmaytrytodesperatelyend

Andrade2

hislifeinatraumaticmanner.AnexampleofsuchisinDr.MarciaAngellseditorialoftheNew
EnglandJournalofMedicine,whereshefavorsphysicianassistedsuicideandgaveanaccount
ofherfather,whohadsufferedthepainofprostatecancerwhichdrovehimtokillhimselfwith
apistolhehadlongkeptinhisbedsidetable.Nopersonwouldliketoexperiencepointingagun
totheirownhead,theywouldcertainlyprefertodieinamorepeacefulmethod!Familiesmay
feelreassuredthattheirbelovedhaspassedin,atleast,amorecomfortableway.Itwouldalsobe
heartbreakingtodiscoverthatapatientpassedawayallalone,possiblyevenpainfully,while
theirfamilywasaway.Topreventthesetragedies,physiciansshouldbeallowedtoassistin
suicideforterminallyillpatients.
AssistedSuicidewillendsufferingforpatientsandtheirfamilies.Somepatientsmight
feellikeaburdentotheirfamilies,forcingthemtopaytheirdebts.Somemaynothaveenough
incometobeabletopayofftheirdebtsasAbrahmssaid,therewillbemajorincreasesof
diseaseanddisability,andnotenoughmoneyformanyforpropercare(Abrahams2).As
diseaseanddisabilityincrease,billswillalsorisewithitandthepatientsfamilywillhaveto
enduretheagonywiththepatient.Makingthisdruglegalwillbenefitboththepatientsand
families,asthepatientsdietheywontfeelliketheyleftaburdenbehindfortheirfamiliestopay
offandforthefamiliestheywillfeelliketheyletoneoftheirfamilymembersdiepeacefully.On
topofpayingdebts,thefamilieshavetotakecareoftheirownkids.Endingthepatientslife
earlywillcausenoharmtoothersassupporterssaidallpersonshavemoralrighttochoose
freelywhattheywilldowiththeirlivesaslongastheyinflictnoharmonothers(Andre,
Velasquez1).Thepatientknowsthatendingtheirlifebeforethey'resickwillcausenoharmto
thepeoplearoundthemandwillendbothsidesofsufferingquickly.

Andrade3

Althoughtherearemanypeoplewhosupportphysicianassistedsuicide,therearealso
manydoctorsandpeoplewhoopposeassistedsuicideduetopalliativecareandviolatingthe
law.Thereareseveralbenefitsofassistedsuicidewhichismadelegalinafewstates,including
Oregon.Lawsagainsteuthanasiaandevenassistedsuicideareplacedtopreventabuseandto
protectpeoplefromunderhandeddoctorsandmore(connectusfund).Theyarenotintendedto
makeanyonesuffer.Punishmentandcrimehavebeenahugedeficientwheneverhelping
illegallyassistedsuicide.Whydotheyhavebesubjectedtothatkindofpunishment?Firstly,it
willlowerthecostofhealtharebecausewewouldnthavetobespendingthethousandsof
moneyonpatientswhohavelessthan6monthstolive.Sothenifthepersondoespursue
assistedsuicidethendoctorsandnursescanfocusmoreattentiononpatientswhoneedhelpand
canbecured.Palliativesedation(PS)istheuseofmedicationstoinducedecreasedorabsent
awarenessinordertorelieveotherwiseintractablesufferingattheendoflifeandpeoplesayitis
anegativeaspectofpatientsundergoingaggressivesymptomcontrolmeasuresstillhavesevere
sufferingfromunderlyingdiseaseortherapyrelatedadverseeffects(ncbi).Overall,assisting
deathinnowayendsgivingthebestpalliativecarepossiblebutratherincorporates
compassionatecareandrespectforthepatient'sautonomyandgreatlymakesdeathwithdignity
arealoption(procon).
Inconclusion,physicianassistedsuicidecanbeapositivethingandanegativething.The
negativesidetothisisthatitcantakealovedoneawayandfamilymemberswouldntwantto
seeoneoftheirlovedonesjustdie,andthepositivesidewouldbethatthepatientwillnolonger
beinpainandalloftheirworrieswillnolongerexist.Anotherexamplewouldbethatfamilies
nolongerhavetopayoffhospitalbillsafterthismemberofthefamilypassesaway.Theperson

Andrade4

whohaspassedawaywillalsofeelrelievedbecausetheyknowthattheirfamilymemberswillno
longerbepayingoffdebts.Manypeoplehavedifferentopinionsonassistedsuicideandnot
everyonewillagreeonthesamethings,butwhatwouldyoudoifyouwereintheplaceofthis
personinpain.

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