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The Legalization of Physician Assisted Suicide How does it feel to see someone in your own family being euthanized? How would you feel to see your mothers face for the last time knowing that there is a possible chance that one more chemotherapy treatment could cure her of cancer for the rest of her life? Why would you her loving daughter or son decide to give up on the woman that gave you life by opting to submit her weak fail body to Physician assisted suicide (PAS)? These are just a few of the many very important questions us as American citizen should ask prior to thinking about the legalization of Euthanasia and or Physician assisted suicide. The legalization of Physician assisted suicide can do more harm than good for the society because it undermines the integrity of the medical profession, doctors and families may be prompted to give up on recovery much too early, It would violate doctors' Hippocratic oath and It belittles the value of human life. Euthanasia or PAS harms the Medical profession by causing a significant amount of doctors, although they are in the minority, to regret taking part in the giving of lethal drugs to aid in death. About 25 percent of physicians regret having performed euthanasia or PAS in some cases because it did not lead to a good death for the patient or family. Other physicians reported significant emotional burden from having performed euthanasia and PAS that, in some cases, even led to changes in practice patterns.18 percent of physicians who performed PAS and 12 percent who performed euthanasia were uncomfortable with having assisted in ending a patients life. At least 7 percent of physicians would not repeat the acts in similar cases in the future. One of the leading advocates of euthanasia and PAS in Australia said of his actions that he felt like an "executioner" (Assisted Suicide). "Regret" by a minority of physicians who perform euthanasia or PAS does constitute a fundamental change in the profession and such findings do suggest problems and adverse effects that should not be ignored. The social role of the medical

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profession has to do with the relationship between the doctor and the patient and once that partnership, friendship, or basic friendship has been established it is hard to take the life of someone you have grown to know. Properly utilized euthanasia and PAS are "last ditch" interventions that can be justified only after appropriate reassuring options are attempted. 9 percent of euthanasia cases in nursing homes not all palliative measures were utilized prior to ending the patient's life.(Edmonds) All patients whose lives were ended by euthanasia or PAS and who had pain were on opioid narcotic. Most patients were given exceptional care, but some of these patients were not given all optimal care. 60 percent were not receiving hospice care, in addition, less than 10 percent received psychiatric evaluations for depression, and at least one depressed patient who was given euthanasia refused psychiatric care.(Assisted Suicide). How many depressed patients were not diagnosed or not given proper treatment but were given euthanasia or PAS? Others have reported that in 39 percent of cases patients who were given euthanasia were depressed, and in 19 percent of cases patients given PAS were depressed. These data suggest a lack of adequate soothing care for psychological symptoms prior to use of euthanasia and PAS. (Edmonds) Another recent survey of all oncologists in the United States revealed the surprising finding that those oncologists who reported that administrative, financial, and other barriers prevented them from providing all the care they wanted for their terminally ill patients were much more likely to have performed euthanasia or PAS in the last year. All these data indicate that in both the Netherlands and the United States, many patients who received euthanasia and PAS received these interventions before all appropriate palliative interventions had been implemented. Again, it is impossible to estimate how many dying patients would have ended their lives to relieve pain and

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suffering before appropriate palliative measures were instituted if euthanasia and PAS were legalized. The Legalization of PAS or euthanasia can also harm the doctors in there endeavor to help the people of the world. Upon graduation, Medical student say a creed entitled The Hippocratic Oath. This oath is one of the oldest binding documents in history. The Oath written by Hippocrates is still held sacred by physicians to preserve a patient's privacy, to teach the secrets of medicine to the next generation, and most importantly to stress the job of doctors around the world to heal patients to the best of their ability. The Hippocratic Oath states, I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism, (Silverman). In other word when pledging to the medicinal field you are giving your word to nurse people back to health, not to take the easy way out by performing PAS or Euthanasia. The legalization of PAS or euthanasia will give doctors more reason to give up on the oath that the said with great pride on graduation day. The last reason but most important reason that PAS should never be legalize is because it belittles the value of life. In this country, human life means something. For each death, we have 1-2 days of ceremonies, elaborate burials, and months of mourning. When 3,000 people died in the 9/11 attacks, donations poured in from all over the country. We donated money, blood, time, prayers, and tears. And we will probably always mourn the annual anniversary of the attacks. In other countries around the world, life isn't so sacred. Wars are fought constantly for disputed territories and old grudges. People celebrate having their sons and daughters blow themselves up and kill scores of civilians. The Iraqis, Communists, Nazis, and others have shown us that human life is to some, nothing more than a science experiment or political resource. The thing that elevates Western society above others, generally speaking, is the value we put on each and every

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life. To stomp out a life because it's not convenient or it's expensive demeans that value. Human life is much more than just a cluster of biological cells. Throughout this paper there are numerous reasons as to why the legalization of Euthanasia and Physician assisted suicide can harm our society and lives in general. If Euthanasia is legalized it will only be misused and abused for purposes that can be rectified in other medias. It will also only cause doctors to give up all too easily without attempting to come up with solutions to medical problem which may also lead to advancements in the medical field. So before you decide to go around screaming Euthanasia is the way to go think about how euthanasia undermines the integrity of the medical profession, prompts doctors and families to give up on recovery much too early, violates doctors' Hippocratic Oath and belittles the value of human life.