What Is Euthanasia?
Euthanasia can be defined as deliberately ending a person’s life by act or omission rather than allowing the person to die naturally. It can be categorised by the following:
- Active Euthanasia (commonly just referred to as ‘Euthanasia’) is accomplishing an act which will quicken the termination of someone’s life. It is usually the process by which a doctor ends the life of a patient, often by providing him or her with a lethal prescription of drugs.
- Pasive Euthanasia is terminating someone’s palliative care (stopping treatment) in order to end the life. Typically, when a patient’s treatment is terminated, in order to hasten the death of the patient.
- Indirect Euthanasia is providing someone with drugs that will as a consequence quicken the termination of someone’s life.
- Voluntary Euthanasia is Euthanasia accomplished at the request of the patient.
- Involuntary Euthanasia is Euthanasia accomplished at the request of someone else, in cases of non-conscious patients or those not considered as able to make the decision. * Examples would include the famous Vincent Lambert (FRA) and Terri Schiavo (USA).
How Can Euthanasia Take Place?
Euthanasia (Active and Passive) can take place in three ways:
- Voluntary – where the euthanasia is at the patient’s request
- Non-Voluntary – where the euthanasia is carried out in the absence of the patients’ intentions
- Involuntary – where the euthanasia take place against the wishes/consent of the patient
What Is Assisted Suicide?
Assisted Suicide (also called Physician Assisted Death/Physician Aid in Dying) is when a physician assists the patient to commit suicide, often by providing him or her with a consultation prior to prescribing and supplying lethal drugs.
Typically, it is the process by which a doctor helps a patient to die by suicide, usually by providing the patient with a lethal dose of a drug.
What Are The Reasons People Choose To Die By Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide?
Answer Coming Soon!
What Are The Most Common Arguments In Favour Of Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide?
-Autonomy
-Pain
What Are The Most Common Arguments Against Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide?
-Protecting vulnerable groups
-A slippery slope
Why Are Disability Rights Activists So Opposed To Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide?
Answer Coming Soon!
Why Are Palliative Care Consultants So Opposed To Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide?
Answer Coming Soon!
What Has Happened In Other Countries Since The Introduction Of Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide?
Answer Coming Soon!
What Did The Oireachtas Health Committee Say In Its 2018 Report On Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide?
Answer Coming Soon!
Why Shouldn’t The Oireachtas Legalise Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide If Opinion Polls Show The Public Being In Favour?
Answer Coming Soon!
Have There Been Any Legislative Attempts To Introduce Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide?
Answer Coming Soon!
Why Should You Oppose Legalising Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide?
The danger in ‘talking up’ people ‘wanting to end their own lives’ no matter what challenges they face is that it tends to create a reluctance on vulnerable people’s part to sharing their genuine needs or asking for support. By normalising ‘I want to end my life because I have problems’ it sends a not so subtle message to vulnerable people that they are a burden and the generous thing to do is to stop being a burden to others.
On the other hand, requests for euthanasia and assisted suicide are reduced considerably when patients’ social, emotional and physical needs (possibly palliative), are properly met.
Instead of introducing a legal system that facilitates the intentional ending of human lives, we ought to devote our energies to putting in place the necessary resources so they’re readily accessible to all who need them. Great strides are already being made in this regard. We need to build on them rather than sending mixed signals about the value we place on the life of someone considering Euthanasia.
Is It Not The Case That Doctors Already Prescribe Medication To Patients (e.g. Cancer Patients) That Will Ease Their Pain, Knowing That It Will Also Hasten Death? Isn’t This Just The Same As Euthanasia?
Sometimes doctors administer drugs like morphine to minimise pain, that has the secondary but unintended effect of shortening life. The critical distinction here with Euthanasia is that the drug is not given to hasten death but to relieve pain. With good palliative care, the doctor will manage the dosage of morphine to minimise the chances of it ending life. With Euthanasia the intention is entirely different – it is to deliberately end a life and nothing else.
What Is The Difference Between Refusing A Life-Saving Treatment And, Say, Administering A Lethal Injection? Are They Not In Effect One And The Same Thing?
No, they’re entirely different. Stopping or not starting a treatment that is seen as futile cannot be compared to Euthanasia, which is solely about causing death. There are lots of reasons why someone might turn down a treatment that has nothing to do with wanting to die. Even where a patient refuses a life-saving treatment and dies as a result, this does not qualify as Euthanasia. People cannot be forced to undergo treatments against their will. In the case of Euthanasia, the intent is always about ending a life. That’s clearly not the case in situations where someone turns down a treatment or where the doctor believes the procedure will be of no benefit to his or her patient.