Kelly Foleyp 3/11/2014 Ms.

Kirkpatrick G Block (Final Draft) PROPOSAL: Legalize Euthanasia in all States Statement of Need The United States currently limits the capability of eliminating ultimate misery through those last couple of months of a human being dying. This country establishes that it is essentially illegal to dignify a death as a result of extreme illness and suffering. A large quantity of people in society view assisted suicide as murder, however, how is it murder if the terminally sick individual blatantly asks their loved one to put him or her out of agony? It is more of a favor than a murder. This country is for peace, not suffrage. In order to maintain Americas peaceful ideology, the government needs to establish a law that makes it legal, under ALL states, for any person who is suffering on their death bed to be put to death. However, this is only if he or she establishes yes to Euthanasia in their living will AND in that will, he or she is required to expose exactly who their power of attorney is that has the control to put them to death. The name must be a chosen doctor or loved one, but no one else. The only way an individual shall be put to death is by lethal injection of either the drug Phenobarbital or Propofol. Background Information Euthanasia, or dignified death, is currently only legal in three states including Oregon, Vermont, and Washington (Enouen). Vermont provides a law for only doctor-assisted suicides. Doctors are legally capable of prescribing medication to patients that are diagnosed terminally ill with only months to live. The Death with Dignity Act is an established law for Oregon and

Washington as well (Enouen). Like Vermont, only Doctors are allowed to prescribe lethal medication for the dying. Why is it that people who live in Vermont, Washington, or Oregon receive the privilege to be put out of misery, but the other 47 are not? If Euthanasia is issued in three states, it should be legalized in all fifty of them for equality throughout America. Goals and Objectives 1. Legalize Euthanasia in all fifty states by law. a. Provide specifically only two liquid drugs for lethal injection; Phenobarbital or Propofol. 2. Require all individuals to create a living will at age 30. a. An individual must specify their one and only power of attorney. b. Specify the physical conditions at which the individual requires the lethal injection. For example: breathing off a ventilator, eating through a feeding tube, not eating at all, not speaking, completely incoherent etc. 3. Wait five days until picking up the lethal drug, Propofol or Phenobarbital, at a local hospital. a. Only the power of attorney inscribed on the living will is able to pick up the prescription. b. The power of attorney is required to bring the living will to the hospital and be approved by a doctor in order to receive the specified drug.

Evaluation of Resources There is currently a liquid medication prescribed to patients by doctors in Oregon, Washington, and Vermont. The most common drugs consumed by individuals for aiding their own death is called Phenobarbital (Phenobarbital). It is consumed through the human mouth, but if consumed by liquid then a tranquilizer shot would be most appropriate. A well-educated RN informs people that Phenobarbital is an adequate drug for dignified death because, It slows down the brain, then eliminates the breathing causing the heart to stop and simply and painlessly puts the body to sleep (Foley). One liquid lethal injection of this drug has and will completely eliminate the discomfort and suffering for people who only have days, months, or hours left of life. Establishing one power of attorney to aid an individuals death assures the death WILL occur because it is out of the ill persons action if the body and mind are unresponsive. If this drug is injected by that specified power of attorney, established in the living will, with a tranquilizer through the arm, no panic or damage will occur because the brain will slow down essentially before a worry of panic can occur (Phenobarbital). If one does not desire the Phenobarbital drug, the other option they have is Propofol. It shuts down the entire body in just thirty seconds. The only way to access the drug Propofol is if the specified power of attorney written on the individuals living will directly enters the hospital. Then he or she is required to show the doctors their clients living will with signature of course. From there, the document of proof then allows the Propofol drug to be distributed to the power of attorney for aiding the clients death.

Budget Living Will Expenses An investment in creating an individuals living will is cheap and simple. Therefore, there should be absolutely no reason as to not creating a living will. The only and most significant step to successfully completing a living will is find an attorney and pay him or her to process it, then finalize it. The expenses as to creating it range from $0 to $500. A middle aged man completed his living will and revealed, Altogether I finalized my living will for twenty dollars (Foley). If research is properly taken place, then that individual can brag about the cheapness of creating a living will just like Robert Foley had. Medication Expenses What is more ideal than a drug which reduces anxiety and tension, and promotes relaxation and sleep or loss of consciousness (Propofol)? Even better, it transpires all those effects in only thirty seconds. Propofol puts an individual to sleep in half of a minute (AnnieKate). It is liquid and only found in hospitals (Annie-Kate). Depending on an individuals insurance company, the price for Propofol ranges from $25 to $200 (Propofol). The other drug option for Euthanasia will be Phenobarbital.It is also utilized in hospitals and only costs approximately $35, also depending on insurance (Phenobarbital). Tranquilizer Guns A tranquilizer gun should be the only way to lethally inject Phenobarbital or Propofol into the human body for aiding a death. These guns cost from $100 to $400. Tablets are not as

efficient; two-hundred pills are required to be consumed in order to assure Euthanasia, but no one wants to swallow two-hundred tablets as it is a long, tedious process and does not begin its effects nearly as quickly as does the drug given in hospitals called Propofol(Foley). Propofol shuts down the bodys breathing and nervous system in as little as thirty seconds. This is one of the most powerful lethal drugs in America and is as cheap as a bottle of shampoo; thirteen dollars. (Bisulfite). There is absolutely no other alternative for such a fast and accurate way to dignify a death and release the damage of a suffering soul. Altogether, the budget for dignifying a death costs a maximum of about $500 dollars and a minimum of approximately $160. And insurance will cover most of it for an enormous amount of people as well. Gaining Support Imagine living with Lou Gehrigs disease. No one desires a lifestyle where the body is struggling to stay alive because of muscles losing nourishment and the brain losing motor neurons. Over time, Lou Gehrig's disease causes these motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord to shrink and disappear, so that the muscles no longer receive signals to move, thus, becoming paralyzed (Dowshen). According to the ALS Association, about half of all people with ALS live at least 3 years after they find out they have the disease, and 20% (or 1 in 5) live 5 years or more (Dowshen). People receive ALS all over the country, therefore legalizing assisted suicide in all states will relieve sorrow and discomfort for people who are assured to die in only a couple of years. There is no cure for ALS which is the reason why several people who face this disease consider dignifying their death. Why be alive when ones body is incapable of moving, thinking, speaking, and living a regular lifestyle.

An interview took place with a woman, Caroline, who experienced her sister slowly dying from melanoma carcinoma. As the interview was rolling, Carol began to cry because she admitted, I thought about assisting her to death because I felt she was in such discomfort for weeks and it emotionally drained me knowing she could not speak or move. At the time, I was taking care of her in Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts where dignifying a death was highly illegal even though my sister told me to do it before she became so sick. So I never went through with it (Frances). Carolines heart-breaking interview should be heard by not only the audience of this proposal, but Congress should hear this as well in order for the action of legalizing Euthanasia to occur. A certified doctor, Derek Humphrey, admits to assisting his wife, suffering through bone cancer, to death out of her request. He reveals his story about such a tragic time in his life where morality and love took him over. Humphrey reveals, After my wife made her request, I asked myself, What if I were sitting in that hospital bed? What if I had had two years of pain and agony? What if I faced an imminent death? What if I was losing control of my bowels and my bones were cracking and so-forth? I realized then that I would be asking her to help me to die. That, ladies and gentlemen, is my simple reason for what I did. It was an act of love (Humphrey). Humphreys genuine, caring action proves as to why Euthanasia should be legalized in all states. A waiting time to receive Propofol or Phenobarbital shall be implemented in the law when legalizing Euthanasia. When these two drugs are ordered by the ill individuals power of attorney, exactly five days after the prescription is placed in to the local hospital that power of attorney is issued to pick up the order in the hospital on day five. The tranquilizer gun for the lethal injection will also be distributed to the power of attorney at the same time as the drug.

Conclusion Legalizing Euthanasia in all states needs to be implemented as a law today. The quicker this law is established, the faster these terminally ill people become peacefully and permanently put to sleep. No one desires to see their loved one lie in agony, helplessly hoping to die any day. Why wait when hospitals could now provide Propofol and Phenobarbital to fulfill not only the sicks desire for peace, but the loved ones as well. There is simply no rational reason as to why dignifying a death should be illegal in any state. If it is allowed in many other countries and Oregon, Washington, and Vermont, it should evidently be allowed throughout this entire country. The diagram below justifies Euthanasia because it occurs and is essentially allowed in other countries.

(Assisted)

Works Cited Dowshen, Steven. Lou Gehrigs Disease (ALS). Kidshealth.org. January 2013. http://kidshealth.org/kid/grownup/conditions/als.html#. Enouen, Susan. Current Attempts to Legalize Assisted Suicide in the U.S. Life Issues Institute. 2014. http://www.lifeissues.org/euthanasia/current_attempts.ht. Foley, Annie-Kate. Personal Interview. February 26, 2014. Foley, Robert. Personal Interview. February 26, 2014. Frances, Caroline. Personal Interview. March 5, 2014. Humphrey, Derek. Legalizing Euthanasia: Medical Perspectives on Death and Dying. Santa Clara University. https://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v4n2/euthanasia.html. Assisted Suicide: Debate around the world. BBC News. Septrmber 23, 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8270516.stm. Bisulfite-containing propofol: is it a cost-effective alternative to Diprivan for induction of anesthesia? PubMed.gov. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. October 9, 2000. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11004040. Phenobarbital. MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. May 15, 2013. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682007.html. What is Propofol. Drugs.com. http://www.drugs.com/propofol.html.

Annotated Bibliography <Dowshen, Steven. Lou Gehrigs Disease (ALS). Kidshealth.org. January 2013. http://kidshealth.org/kid/grownup/conditions/als.html#.> People who struggle through Lou Gehrigs Disease lose their capability of living an everyday life because they are unable to move as the disease becomes more severe over time. Such a devastating disease connects to the thesis of the proposal because numerous people who struggle through it would rather die, dignify their death, than be a legitimate vegetable for the rest of life. Steven Dowshen gains his credibility for establishing this article on Kidshealth.org because he is the Chief medical Editor, as well as a pediatric Endocrinologist. Only qualitative data is introduced in his article, however it is critical information as it provides the audiences understanding that Lou Gehrigs disease causes loss of mobility and creates uncomfort and struggle, but most importantly there is no cure. So why live? <Enouen, Susan. Current Attempts to Legalize Assisted Suicide in the U.S. Life Issues Institute. 2014. http://www.lifeissues.org/euthanasia/current_attempts.ht.> Susan Enouen works for the Life Issues Incorporation gathering statistics and information creating her credibility. She discloses the percentage of people for example, who voted for the Oregons Death With Dignity Act in 1992. The article supports my thesis and statement of need because it provides the perseverance of many states to pass a law for legalizing assisted suicide. The Life Issues Institute establishes quantitative and qualitative data in Enouens article like specifying which states and bills have been run through court and which ones have been rejected. <Foley, Annie-Kate. Personal Interview. Feruary 26, 2014. ]> Annie-Kates interview is credible because she is a registered nurse in California. She reveals that a large amount of her former patients would say, every once in a while, being put to

death would be better for them. Her interview mostly contained qualitative data providing information about doctors and nurses that are for and against Euthanasia. However, she did introduce quantitative data; for example, she disclosed Propofol kills a person in 30 seconds which is significant in Euthanasia because almost everyone wants to die as quickly as possible. <Foley, Robert. Personal Interview. February 26, 2014.> Robert Foley supports my thesis and is credible regarding legalizing Euthanasia in all states under the evidence of a will because he has fully completed his living will. If this proposal states every one is required to create a living will then expenses on establishing one is luckily provided by an ordinary human being; this being Robert Foley. He introduced quantitative data by disclosing that he only paid twenty dollars for the software for his living will. He also mentioned that the price range depends on what type of software is downloaded and how much the attorney prices his clients. <Frances, Caroline. Personal Interview. March 5, 2014.> An emotional appeal is provided in order for the audience to be engaged more in this proposal. Because Caroline experienced the long process of her sister dying, she gains credibility since she believed dignifying her sisters death would be a better alternative than watching her painfully die. Although Caroline provided no quantitative data, her qualitative information engages the audience tremendously due to her sadness of not being capable for aiding her sister out of suffering because it is illegal in the state of Massachusetts. <Humphrey, Derek. Legalizing Euthanasia: Medical Perspectives on Death and Dying. Santa Clara University. https://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v4n2/euthanasia.html.> Although Derek Humphreys writing is a story rather than research, his passion exploits an emotional appeal to the audience. His wifes tragic struggle through dying from cancer really

engages the audience because it may connect with many individuals who have experienced or heard of someone who has experienced a similar situation. Humphrey is significantly credible because his powerful story connects to the thesis of the proposal since Humphrey himself dignified his wifes death out of love. Completing an act of love shall not be illegal. <Assisted Suicide: Debate around the world. BBC News. September 23, 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8270516.stm.> The visual of the graph connects to legalizing assisted suicide because it gives an allaround glance at how common assisted suicide is throughout the whole entire world. German and French patients are the most occurring decent that follows through with Euthanasia. Quantitavie data within the graph reveals that Oregon has had 60 dignified deaths and Washington has had 11, but states like CT, CA, FL etc. are not labeled. Why? Because it is not legal there. What is the difference between Connecticut and Oregon? Nothing. If Euthanasia is allowed in Oregon, it should be legal in Connecticut as well which this qualitative data is provided through a visual image. <Bisulfite-containing propofol: is it a cost-effective alternative to Diprivan for induction of anesthesia? PubMed.gov. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. October 9, 2000. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11004040.> Unlike the drugs secobarbital and phenobarbital, Propofol kills individuals within 30 seconds and is only distributed in hospitals. This qualitative and quantitative evidence supports the thesis for proposing to legalize dignified death in all states because it is an ideal and ethical way to dignify a death since it only takes 30 seconds. The source is credible because the unkown author works in the department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

<Phenobarbital. MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. May 15, 2013. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682007.html.> If an individual is opposed to Propofol as the lethal drug, which is one of the two drug options, then the only other alternative is phenobarbital. Medlineplus is credible for creating this article because it is a website only informing viewers on medicines. It connects to the thesis because it provides simple information on the effects this drug has on human beings and the qualitative discussion persuades this drug as an ideal choice for dignifying a death. It is essential to understand exactly how one of the two drug options work if an individual is planning on dignifying a death. Not many wish to consume a drug they know nothing about, which is why this article is a significant revelation of info. It provides qualitative data on how the drug specifically shuts down the human body. Such information assures its audience that phenobarbital may be consumed through liquid creating the articles credibility as it connects to the thesis that when aiding a death, the drug can only be taken through the liquid type. <What is Propofol. Drugs.com. http://www.drugs.com/propofol.html.> The quantitative data released in this article is that the drug Propofol kills in only 30 seconds. It proves that nothing is more superior than painlessly dying in 30 seconds. The article is credible because it is created through a website that distributes critical information for individuals researching a specific drug. The qualitative data embraced throughout the reading concludes Propofols effects and each step toward it shutting down the human organs until the heart stops beating.