THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ETHICAL CONCERNS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED DEATH (PAD).

PAD, which stands for physician-assisted death, is another word for assisted suicide, which refers to the act of committing suicide by one individual with the aid of another person or individuals. Assisted suicide is a term that is often used when referring to a person who is suffering from a serious physical disease (Wikipedia, n.d.). A great number of individuals have never heard of physician-assisted suicide, and the majority of them would recoil in horror at the mere idea of such an act. Nevertheless, a great number of people believe that it is a solution to their problems. But does the practice of physician-assisted suicide violate ethical standards? Both Oregon (since 1994) and Washington (since 2008) have legally recognized the practice of physician-assisted suicide under their respective legal systems. Those patients who are terminally sick and who live in any of those two states and who are competent and do not exhibit clinical depression are eligible to ask their physician for a prescription for a medication that, if taken, will result in the patient’s death. Between the years 1990 and 1997, a pathologist by the name of Dr. Jack Kevorkian took the lives of 130 chronically sick patients. Many of the 130 individuals did not genuinely have terminal conditions. For some, clinical depression was present. In 1997, he was finally found guilty of euthanizing a client whose ALS prevented him from ending his own life. This verdict came after he had unsuccessfully avoided punishment three times. Kevorkian recorded the occurrence on camera, and it was subsequently shown on a portion of the program 60 Minutes. The words of a guy who was nearing the end of his life due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) were as follows: “When I am unable to tie my bow tie, tell a humorous tale, walk my dog, or kiss someone important, I will know that my life is ended.” It’s time to leave this place.” This guy, who is suffering from a fatal illness, will pass away with the assistance of a physician. God bestows the gift of life onto us, and it is invaluable. When the first cry of a newborn infant is heard, the whole community is overwhelmed with happiness. From the minute you take your first breath to the moment you die, life is full with moments. Some people are joyful, while others are depressed. In addition to the presence of pain and laughter, there is also the presence of sadness and mourning. All of these experiences and emotions, however, are what constitute life. It is mostly what one chooses to do with their life. People are given the opportunity to make a decision whenever they are confronted with challenges and circumstances that seem to be unjust. They have the option of concentrating on either the problems or the positives. There are hundreds of people who have survived cancer all around the globe. A good number of them made the decision to have a positive outlook in spite of the difficulties they encountered on a daily basis. They made the decision to look at that spark, or glimmer of positivity; a ray of optimism, despite the fact that they were uncertain about the future, that they were wondering why this occurred, and that they had to deal with all of these things and much more. And it was just this that allowed them to prevail. On the path to recovery, it is highly important for a sick person to have access to medicines, therapies, and physicians who are both knowledgeable and kind. A cheerful mindset, on the other hand, may make all the difference. With regard to the United States of America alone, there are about 20 million individuals who are affected by depression (Depression, n.d.). Depression may manifest itself in a variety of ways, including feelings of worthlessness, emotions of despair, and thoughts of death or suicide. Due to the fact that it is impossible to determine whether a patient is clinically depressed or terminally ill, one of the many ethical concerns that are associated with physician-assisted suicide is the fact that it does not take into account the ethical concerns that are associated with the value of human life. There are a multitude of treatment options available, including therapies, medications, or a combination of the two, that can assist depressed individuals in overcoming their symptoms and coping with their depression. This is despite the fact that depressed individuals are confronted with a multitude of symptoms that are extremely serious on a daily basis. What would be considered unethical if, in fact, some of the twenty million or more people who suffer from depression in the United States wanted to end their lives through physician-assisted suicide due to feelings of worthlessness or thoughts of suicide, despite the fact that they could be treated and live a normal, healthy life? The contemporary Hippocratic Oath includes the following statement: “I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, compassion, and understanding may surpass the surgeon’s knife or the chemist’s medicament.” This is a sentence that is included in the Hippocratic Oath. To what extent does the concept of physician-assisted suicide include warmth, sympathy, and understanding? There are some people who support it and argue that if the patient wants to end their life, then the physician is showing compassion by assisting them in doing so. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of medical professionals to provide their patients with the highest possible level of care and to never give up on them, regardless matter how dire the circumstances may be. In a different section of the Oath, it is said that “above all, I must not play for God.” God is both the Creator and the Destroyer of life. To play God is to engage in physician-assisted suicide. It is the act of terminating human life before to the time that our Creator has set aside (The Hippocratic Oath Today, 2001). There are two possible explanations for the actions of physicians and proponents of physician-assisted suicide: either they are uninformed and do not fully comprehend the impact on the patient and their family, or they have no respect for human life. The breakthroughs in science and medicine that have taken place in our contemporary society have resulted in the creation of several treatments and preventive measures for diseases and illnesses that, in the past, would have been deadly and terminal. Since we are living in this day and age, it is unacceptable to even consider the possibility of instituting anything as heinous as physician-assisted suicide, let alone even propose the concept. There is no reason for a physician to terminate such a wonderful gift before it has been fully used. Life is a beautiful thing, and it is what we make of it that makes it so. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html is our list of works cited. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/depression.html www.thehastingscenter.org/Publications/BriefingBook/Detail.aspx?id=2202 www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/against/against 1.shtml#h6 www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted suicide

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