Assisted Suicide

ASSISTED SUICIDE 1

Physician Assisted Suicide

Maureen

SOC 120

Prof. Donna Falloon

July 16, 2012

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My reason for writing about Physician Assisted Suicide is because I have many pros and cons about it. Is it the right thing to do? Should we assist in someone’s death? I found it to be a very interesting subject to learn and write about.
INTORDUCTION
Palliative care and quality of life issues in patients with advance cancer and aids have become an important area of clinical care and investigation.(Breitbart, William, MD and Rosenfeld, Barry, D., PHD).
Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) is perhaps the most compelling and clinically relevant mental health issue in palliative care today. The desire for death, the consideration of suicide, the interest in PAS, and the relationship of these issues to depression and other psychosocial issues appear to be a paramount importance. (Breitbart, William, MD and Rosenfeld, Barry, D., PHD).
DEFINITIONS OF ASSISTED SUICIDE
Assisted suicide is typically defined as a physician providing advice, medication, or other means to allow a patient to choose the manner and timing of his or her death. Most have distinguished assisted suicide and euthanasia, both legally and ethically, from the withdrawal or with holding of treatment from a patient in order to allow him or her to die. (Rosenfeld, B., (2000).
WHERE IT IS PERMITTED

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In 1997, the state of Oregon passed the Death with Dignity Act that allows physician assisted dying for terminally ill patients. Oregon is the only state in the United States that it is permitted. A physician is allowed to prescribe a lethal dose of medication requested by a terminally ill patient for self administration only competent adult s residents of Oregon who are expected to live less than six months are eligible. (Evans, Hilary,...