Freeman 1

Abigail Freeman
Professor Malcolm Campbell
UWRT 1103
10 November 2016
Assisted Suicide: A Controversial Way Out For the Terminally Ill
In todays society we are faced with many healthcare issues, such as Obamacare. Most of
these issues include coverage and cost, but one common issue is physician assisted dying, or as it
is more commonly known assisted suicide. I had begun to research this topic when my great
grandfather became terminally ill and his quality of life rapidly declined. I had wondered if there
was anything we could do to better his life quality and stop his suffering, and that is when I
stumbled upon physician assisted dying. Once I started researching assisted suicide, I found that
the issue was highly controversial. Assisted suicide is majorly important to the terminally ill, but
is highly opposed by the religious and the conservatives. According to Richard L. Worsnop, a
published assisted suicide researcher, the controversy of assisted suicide actually involves
multiple aspects, three of which are the most heavily debated. These three include forgoing or
ceasing artificial life support in the cases of terminal illness; providing a terminally ill person
with the means to end his or her life after the person has requested such help; and actively
causing a terminally ill persons death (Worsnop). Towards the end of my initial research there
were two major questions that required further exploration. The first question being if physician
assisted suicide was part of a doctors role. The second was if there was a risk for the practice
being abused and misused.

Freeman 2

Before diving into the nitty-gritty aspects of assisted suicide, it is important to briefly
address its history. Richard L. Worsnop, a published assisted suicide researcher, writes that the
issue of legalizing assisted suicide dates back to as early as 1906, when Ohio Legislature
proposed a bill. The bill stated, provided that when a mentally competent adult was terminally
ill or injured, his doctor could ask him in the presence of three witnesses whether he wished to
do. If the answer was yes, three other physicians had to agree that the patients condition was
hopeless (Worsnop). Since then, there have been an outstanding amount of bills, court cases,
and stories of assisted suicide. Recently, the most popular being the story of Brittany Maynard
and her decision to choose a death with dignity.
In 2014, at the age of 29 Brittany was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Her and her
family then moved to Oregon, one of the five states that have legalized assisted suicide, after
having assessed her diagnosis and the options it left her with. On November 1 st, 2014 Brittany
took her own life, thanks to prescription pills and her suffering had ended. She had achieved a
death with dignity, but not before she worked with Compassion & Choices, the largest right to
die movement, to help further the assisted suicide movement (The Brittany Maynard Fund.).
Along with Compassion & Choices, is the right to die organization called the Hemlock Society
founded by Derek Humphry, a former London Sunday Times reporter. The organization was
disbanded in 2003, but their website and progress still remains. Hemlock Societys
accomplishments are many, but the most important are that theyve spread the knowledge of
assisted suicide, and launched the first model law governing euthanasia and assisted suicide in
America, 1986 (Humphry).

Freeman 3

The laws pertaining to assisted suicide are few; because it most places it is considered
illegal. In the U.S. there are only six states that permit assisted suicide. These states are Oregon,
Washington, Montana, Vermont, New Mexico, and California (The Brittany Maynard Fund).
The laws in these states allow for the doctors to prescribe a lethal medication for the patient to
take, but the patient must be able to take the medication on their own (ProCon.org). Not only is
assisted suicide legal in certain U.S states but it is also legal in Switzerland Humphry).
One thing that makes the laws in Switzerland stand out is that it allows foreigners to
receive physician assisted suicide that they couldnt in their own country. Since this law has
come to pass, Switzerland has seen an increase in its tourism. Jacque Wilson, a news reporter
for CNN, reported on a study done in Switzerland that showed between 2008 and 2012, 611
tourists came to Switzerland for assisted suicide. The reported study also showed that over
half of these were women, and consisted of an age range anywhere from 23 to 97 (Wilson).
Jacque Wilson reports that 12 European countries were surveyed, and most reported to be in
favor of legalizing assisted suicide. So why has there not been more legalization of assisted
suicide? It breaks down into two key points: the role of a doctor and determining who qualifies
for assisted suicide.
According to Phillipa J. Malpas and R. Glynn Owens, psychologists in the department of
psychological medicine, one major opponent to assisted suicide is the American Medical
Association. They state that it is fundamentally incompatible with the phyicians role as healer
(Maplas). However, according to Breitbart, a researcher cited by Maplas and Owens, the role of
a doctor is to provide care that preserves the human essence, alleviates suffering and to respect a
patients choice to end treatments keeping them alive. If this is the case, than prescribing a

Freeman 4

patient medication to end their suffering is definitely within the role of a doctor. Perhaps the role
of a doctor in assisted suicide is best summed up by Judge Rothstein in California during 1994.
She stated that, Like the abortion decision, the decision of a terminally ill person to end his or
her life involves the most intimate and personal choice a person may in a lifetime and
constitutes a choice central to personal dignity and autonomy. That being said, she is basically
saying assisted suicide is really up to the person, and the doctor, much like in abortion, has to
comply with the patients wishes. Some people feel that legalizing assisted suicide is just a
slippery slope to abusing the practice. This is a great concern to have, but further investigation
has shown that the qualifications and protocols of assisted suicide are strict, and must be met
precisely.
In the few states where assisted suicide is legal, it is hard to qualify for it. Many people
who oppose assisted suicide worry that it will apply to those who are not mentally capable of
making that decision on their own. However, assisted suicide only applies to those who are
terminally ill, in most cases mental illness can be treated (Humphry). Not only do patients have
to meet qualifications, but the doctors assisting have to meet certain qualifications as well. There
are five main qualifications a patient must meet in order to receive assisted suicide. The first two
qualifications are that the patient must be at least eighteen years old and a resident of the state
they are wishing to receive the aid in dying. The next qualification is that they must have been
diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months or fewer to live. The final two
qualifications are that they must be of a sound mental state and must be capable of taking the
medicine by them-self (ProCon.org).

Freeman 5

For a doctor to qualify in prescribing the drug, they also have five qualifications. The first
being that they must be licensed for the state they are in and assisting a patient in. They then
have get a second doctors certification of their diagnosis, and inform the patient of alternative.
Lastly, the main doctor and secondary doctor have to determine that the patient is of a sound
mental state; if they are even slightly unsure they must send the patient for an evaluation
(ProCon.org). Depending on the state, a notification to the next of kin might also be necessary.
Then a specific step by step procedure must be followed, one cannot simply submit a single
request to a doctor to help end their life. First, one must request the practice once, then wait
fifteen days and ask once again. After this they then must submit a written request. Once they
have submitted a written request and it has been approved they must wait forty-eight hours
before picking up the medication and using it (ProCon.org).
Both sides of the assisted suicide controversy can agree on two key points. The first being
that the fear of a painful death is a major reason assisted suicide has become popular. And two,
that we need to improve end of life methods and equipment. These two issues need to be
addressed, that way we will know a patient is partaking in the practice of assisted suicide for the
right reasons. And also, so we know that they have exhausted all other measures and options.
Assisted suicide is a necessity to proving the terminally ill with a death full of dignity, and
belongs under the duties of a doctor because it is bettering someones life and ending their
suffering. Some people may argue that assisted suicide is morally wrong, like they do with
abortion, but it decision is ultimately up to that person who is terminally ill. Our country seems
to be regressing on all the progress that has been made. We must continue to fight for those who
need equality the most. We cannot tell people what they can and cannot do with their bodies. It

Freeman 6

not only infringes on our personal rights, but everything we as Americans have fought so hard to
achieve.

Freeman 7

Citations
Humphry, Derek. Assisted Suicide. Euthanasia Research & Guidance Organization.
www.assistedsuicide.org. Accessed 15 Oct. 2016
Malpas, Phillipa J. and R. Glynn Owens. "Given That Physician-Assisted Dying Is Ethical,
Should It Be Part Of A Doctor's Role?" Mortality 21.4 (2016): 295-304. Academic
Search Complete. 10 Oct. 2016.
ProCon.org. "State-by-State Guide to Physician-Assisted Suicide." ProCon.org. 5 Oct. 2015,
5:24 p.m., euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000132. Accessed on 18
Oct. 2016
The Brittany Maynard Fund. The Brittany Fund About Comments, Compassion &Amp;
Choices, thebrittanyfund.org/about/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2016
Wilson, Jacque. Suicide Tourism To Switzerland Has Doubled Since 2009. CNN Wire 20
Aug. 2014.Web. 10 Oct. 2016.
Worsnop, Richard L. "Assisted Suicide Controversy." CQ Researcher 5 May 1995: 393-416.
Web. 15 Oct. 2016.