Death With Dignity: Legalizing Euthanasia

Suppose you have an older relative who is suffering from a terminal illness and is in excruciating pain. Would you favor allowing that older relative to voluntarily end their life to end their suffering? As Oxford Languages states, euthanasia is the β€œpainless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma.” The act of aiding in a patient’s death has been a controversial topic. Some believe it is morally wrong and that physicians should continue to preserve life, while others believe that suffering individuals should not have to continue living in pain. Legalizing euthanasia requires that the patient have a terminal illness with six months left or less to live and that the condition cannot be reversed. When an animal is in pain or dying, veterinarians will euthanize it to put the animal out of its misery. Conversely, when it comes to humans, we don’t have the option to die with dignity. This practice is legal in Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, and Colombia, among other countries, but only some states in the U.S. have legalized it. Euthanasia should be legal for terminally ill patients because it prevents needless pain and suffering, enables them to take control of their situation, and allows them to die with dignity.

According to some people, euthanasia should not be legal because, from their perspective, it is murder. For example, in an article titled β€œAssisted Dying is Cheaper than Caring,” Dr. John Maher, a psychiatrist and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Ethics in Mental Health states, β€œYou can’t predict who will get better over what time.” While some people may hold the opinion that there is hope for a miraculous recovery, they are mistaken. Based on a patient’s stage in their disease, physicians can predict how long they have left to live, just as doctors can tell when a woman’s baby is due by examining an ultrasound.

Legalizing euthanasia will ensure that terminally ill patients will not have to endure needless pain and suffering. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi writes about Dr. David Grubes’ patient in β€œMedical Aid in Dying: A Comprehensive Breakdown.” The patient in question suffered from a rare stomach cancer, called peritoneal carcinomatosis, prompting them to request medical aid to β€œpass away peacefully.” Peritoneal carcinomatosis causes a tumor to grow in thin abdominal tissues. The treatment is never fully effective, which is why the patient chose to end her life, so she wouldn’t suffer. A randomized study conducted by researchers at the Department of Surgical Oncology concluded that β€œthe cure rate [was] 16%” for treating this stomach cancer. Given that the cure rate is exceedingly low, attempting to treat her would be fruitless. Euthanasia should be considered as an extension of palliative care, specialized medical care that aims to provide relief and pain from serious and terminal illnesses. By making euthanasia legal, patients who have peritoneal carcinomatosis and other conditions can be free of pain while taking control of their situation.

Legalizing euthanasia allows terminally ill patients to make their own end-of-life decisions. In Katherine Ellison’s interview with Diane Rehm, she poses the question: β€œDo you worry if laws allowing doctors to prescribe medications for the terminally ill so they can die peacefully could be a slippery slope toward making suicide more acceptable?” Diane Rehm responds: β€œPeople who commit suicide want to die… that’s the difference between medical aid in dying and suicide.” When a patient requests a physician-assisted death, it is not because they have any intention of ending their life. These patients’ lives would end within six months, so by providing euthanasia as an alternative, they can choose whether to end it on their terms or wait for their disease to worsen. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), according to the Mayo Clinic, is a β€œprogressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control.” In Richard Knox’s β€œMorning Edition” article, he commemorates his late friend Catherine Royce, who was diagnosed with this disease. Before she passed away, she declared: β€œI can choose to see ALS as nothing more than a death sentence, or I can choose to see it as an invitation – an opportunity to learn who I truly am.” She used her disease as an opportunity to better or worsen her remaining lifespan. Royce could have let her condition continue to weaken her, but euthanasia would allow her to end it peacefully. Allowing euthanasia as an option to end someone’s limited lifespan gives them more control over their situation and also allows them to die with dignity.

People with terminal illnesses should have the right to choose to die with dignity. Pamela Wood, a reporter for The Baltimore Sun, writes about 2019 legislative efforts to pass a death with dignity law. During floor debate, Delegate Eric Luedtke recalled the final days of his mother’s life and stated, β€œI began to ask myself what right I had, as a government official, and even as her son, to dictate to her how her life should end. What do any of us have to determine that for another individual?” Unless and until such a law is passed, Maryland residents do not have that choice. Although this bill passed in the House of Delegates, it did not pass in the Senate. In Yvette Brazier’s article β€œWhat Are Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide,” medically reviewed by Dr. Legg, who has a PhD from Colorado State University, she states, β€œThere is no intention to take life.” When there are no treatments left a patient could undergo to preserve life, and said patient has no intention of living with their disease, having euthanasia as an option is crucial. Patients can make their own decision to die with dignity if they so choose, and legalizing it will ensure that it is not forced upon anyone. By legalizing euthanasia, patients have an option they may take if they feel it is right.

For these reasons, euthanasia should be legal for terminally ill patients because it prevents needless pain and suffering, enables terminally ill patients to take control of their situation, and allows them to die with dignity. Even though some believe it is morally wrong, physicians should still offer death with dignity as an option for their patients so they will not have to endure more pain and suffering. Terri Schiavo had been in a vegetative state for fifteen years, after suffering from cardiac arrest. Her condition was permanent, yet her family insisted on keeping her on feeding tubes. Her husband and parents battled in court for about seven years over her condition. The anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s death is approaching, and if your state has not legalized euthanasia, you can communicate with your delegates or local government to make a change. The Maryland General Assembly last considered this type of law in 2019, and it should be revisited. By urging your state to legalize euthanasia if it has not already, you can help terminally ill patients exercise their autonomous choice to end their suffering.