Physician-assisted suicide (PAD) is a rather difficult topic to write about. This topic is influenced by many debates for and against, with both sides presenting very convincing points. It is not surprising that not everyone agrees on this topic. Whenever a new topic or field is obscured, there will surely be arguments, disagreements, points, and counterpoints from everyone on both sides of the aisle. This democratic and open debate is a sign of a healthy society.
Think about any major strides we have made on the road to a civilized society - from ending the practice of burning witches at the stake, legalizing abortion, granting women the right to work and vote, and even institutionalizing democracy. Today, we consider things normal or even necessary in a civilized society, but this was not the case a few centuries ago. We have had many debates, disagreements, and arguments leading to their legalization. Arguments around these important topics revolve around their ethics, morality, their economic impact, and how they will shape our future society. Conversations around these types of topics are often heated due to high stakes. All of this and more is true for PAD.
What is Pad? Why is it controversial? What are the ethical issues surrounding PAD?
These are some questions I will address in the following paragraphs.
What is Pad?
Imagine a terminally ill person who wants to end their life. Perhaps they see no meaning in life, may be in unbearable pain, or the illness will turn them into a vegetable and they do not want that - for whatever reason, this person wants to end their life. This person goes to a doctor and requests a combination of lethal drugs they can use to end their life. The doctor provides them with the drugs, and the patient takes these drugs and peacefully dies at the time they choose. This practice is what is known as physician-assisted suicide.
Although the doctor provides the lethal drugs, the patient plays an active role. The role of the patient is to ingest/consume the drugs, the final step in the self-immolation process.