Death with Dignity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Death with Dignity - Essay Example Her decision faced immense opposition from different sects of the society. Indeed, despite its aim to alleviate patient suffering, doctor assisted suicide goes against moral and ethical principles and should therefore not be allowed. Oregon was the first to implement the Death with Dignity Act in 1997. It allows terminally ill patients who are of competent mental mindset and aged over 18 to obtain lethal medication to end their lives (Yuill 61). Such patients would be required to make a written request and two oral ones in a span of 15 days. The prescribing physician should concur with the prognosis or diagnosis that supports death with dignity, and in consultation with another physician agree to offer assisted suicide. Over time, more states have embraced this legislation as a way out for patients with lingering and intolerable pain. Just a few countries in Europe have legalized death with dignity, notably, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Belgium (Zakaria). Some other parts of the world, including the Ancient Greece and Rome, have been practicing doctor assisted suicide for generations (Loomis 146). However, the issue continues to elicit heated debate from different quarters on its morality and eth icality. Allowing for physician assisted suicide would lead to an inclusion of more people into the eligible groups. According to Yuill, allowing for assisted suicide would mount pressure upon people feeling that they have become a burden to their families and even healthcare providers to include more categories of people in the death with dignity category (32). This could go forth and even become euthanasia or further to involuntary euthanasia. Thus, allowing for death with dignity presents grounds for abuse of the practice, specifically when driven by greed as opposed to love. Those who should inherit from the patient could encourage premature death of