Euthanasia should be legal

The Legalization of Euthanasia

The legalizing of euthanasia has been a controversial issue in the world today, and it, like any other contentious issue, has supporters and detractors. Every side has valid points and they are adamant about their views on the issue. Euthanasia is a painless method of terminating the life of a patient who is in an induced coma or has an incurable terminal disease (Arabjanov 2012). Euthanasia, in my opinion, should be allowed in all nations. This emanates from an evaluation of verity that illegalizing euthanasia is illusory and patients and their families have the right, liberty, and freedom to choose whether they want to live with the pain of a terminal disease or they would wish to end their suffering as long as this causes no harm to another person.

The Case for Legalizing Euthanasia

In recent years, euthanasia has become popular across the globe with many terminally ill patients taking it as an option. Chan and Tse in The case of Ah Bun: Euthanasia and other Alternatives (2016) argue that legalizing euthanasia could be a leeway to unwarranted deaths by unscrupulous family members and health practitioners. However, prior to allowing a terminally ill person to exercise his/her right to euthanasia, there are hefty conditions that should be met. For instance, the patient must be an adult and terminally ill, he/she must be in severe pain and mentally competent while making the decision and at least two independent physicians must satisfy that the named conditions are present (Parmar, Rathod and Parikh 2016, p.22). Therefore, the concerns of abuse and vulnerability of patients are addressed and this should not stop the legalization of euthanasia.

The Right to Choose Dignity and an End to Suffering

In addition, every person has the right to choose to die when his/her life becomes undignified and excruciating. According to Rodgers, Booth, Norman, and Sowden, the quality of life is greater than the length of life, and there is no reason whatsoever to force a patient to live a life with an intolerable pain (2016). Most patients with terminal illnesses face a horrific future, for instance, the failure of the vital organs of the body, and the decline of the body whereby they are forced to depend on artificial life support machines. In fact, this is very expensive for their family members who end up bankrupt. Therefore, if euthanasia is made legal, the patients can escape all the above and it will also save the family members from spending all their fortune on an incurable condition.

Religious Arguments and the Compassionate Choice

Opponents argue that euthanasia should not be legal because of religious reasons. They argue that all religions value the human life, therefore, regardless of which situation an individual is undergoing; being assisted to should not be an option at all. However, despite all these arguments, I still believe that euthanasia should be legalized because permitting a terminally ill person to make a decision to end their life is a humane and compassionate choice. Individuals should not be forced to endure pain against their wishes when there is a viable option like euthanasia. These patients have a right to choose what they want for their lives, and this includes making a decision about ending a life that is no longer of quality (Sulmasy, Ely, and Sprung 2016, p.1600).

Addressing Concerns and Overwhelming Evidence

The idea surrounding the legalization of euthanasia has generated heated debates from all quarters. Despite the several documented evidence of its benefits for patients with terminally ill patients, many governments across the globe have delayed giving the issue a positive approach citing the lack of consistent and reliable scientific data to back up its significance. Besides, many states fear that upon its legalization, there is a likelihood of abusing the rights of patients in the process and this can further worsen the state of health (Chan and Tse 2016, p.32). However, I still believe that euthanasia should be legal because there is overwhelming evidence that the process relieves patients from agonizing pain from terminal illnesses. Why let a patient suffer chronic pain for several days yet at the end of the day, he/she will still not survive the disease.

Educating and Regulating for a Civilized Society

Euthanasia is a complex issue that is illegal in several countries. However, with proper education and regulations, euthanasia can be legalized without any opposition and criticism. It is evident that euthanasia still faces criticism on its application and safety with many bodies fearing that the process might be misused (Emanuel, Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Urwin, and Cohen 2016, p.85). Nonetheless, I still believe that euthanasia should be legalized because terminal ill patients have a right to exercise their liberty on whether to stay or they end their lives through euthanasia. A civilized society should allow terminally ill patients to die without pain and with dignity by legalizing euthanasia.

Conclusion

The supporters and the opponents of euthanasia have genuine issues with their arguments, but one thing that comes out clearly out of these arguments is that euthanasia should be legalized. No one should impose his/her views on a decision made by a severely terminally ill person because we do not know the pain they are going through (Frye and Youngner, 2016, p.733). However, before its legalization, specific policies should be put in place to protect the patients from unscrupulous family members and doctors. With many nations supporting its legalization, many will learn of its importance and let euthanasia gain global significance and acceptance it deserves.

References

Arabjanov, A. (2012). Euthanasia as Seen by Law, Morality and Religion. New York: GRIN Verlag.

Chan, H.M., and Tse, C.Y. (2016). The case of Ah Bun: Euthanasia and other Alternatives. Ethical Dilemmas in Public Policy, 23-38.

Emanuel, E.J., Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B.D., Urwin, J.W., and Cohen, J. (2016). Attitudes and Practices of Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Jama, 316(1): 79-90.

Frye, J., and Youngner, S. J. (2016). A Call for a Patient-Centered Response to Legalized Assisted Dying: A Patient-Centered Response to Legalized Assisted Dying. Annals of Internal Medicine, 165(10): 733-734.

Parmar, P., Rathod, S., and Parikh, A., (2016). Perceptions of Patients’ Towards Euthanasia – A Medico-Legal Perspective. Age (Years), 20(12): 21-30.

Rodgers, M., Booth, A., Norman, G., and Sowden, A. (2016). Research priorities relating to the debate on assisted dying: what do we still need to know? Results of a Modified Delphi Technique. BMJ open, 6(6).

Sulmasy, D.P., Ely, E.W., and Sprung, C.L. (2016). Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide. Jama, 316(15): 1600.