Euthanasia-

“Right to Die with Dignity”

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Group Members-

 Swarang Raut
 Abhishek Mishra
 Kartik Reddy
 Sanath Waghela
 Shubham Sawant
 Manish Jha

Round 1-

Swarang-

Good Afternoon everyone, Myself Swarang Raut and on behalf of my team

I would like to start our group discussion. May I start the discussion?

Intro-

Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending someone’s life, usually to

relieve suffering. Doctors sometimes perform euthanasia when it’s requested by
people who have a terminal illness and are in a lot of pain.

It’s a complex process and involves weighing many factors. Local laws,
someone’s physical and mental health, and their personal wishes all play a role.
(“But doctors might feel it difficult to find the mental condition of a patient
trying to attempt for euthanasia”)

Shubham:
 Euthanasia was practiced in Ancient Greece and Rome: for
example, hemlock was employed as a means of hastening death on the island
of Kea, a technique also employed in Marseilles. Euthanasia, in the sense of the
deliberate hastening of a person's death, was supported
by Socrates, Plato and Seneca the Elder in the ancient world,
although Hippocrates appears to have spoken against the practice, writing "I will
not prescribe a deadly drug to please someone, nor give advice that may cause
his death" (noting there is some debate in the literature about whether or not
this was intended to bound euthanasia).

Kartik-

There are several types of euthanasia. What’s chosen depends on a

variety of factors, including someone’s outlook and level of consciousness.

Assisted suicide-

Assisted suicide sometimes called “physician-assisted suicide (PAS)”. PAS

means a doctor knowingly helps someone end their life by painless means. This
person is likely experiencing persistent and unending suffering. They may have
also received a terminally ill diagnosis. Their doctor will determine the most
effective, painless method.

Usually, doctors will provide people with a drug they can take to end their
life. A lethal dose of opioids, for example, may be prescribed for this. In the
end it’s up the person to decide whether they take the drug.

Abhishek-

Active vs passive-

When most people think of euthanasia, they think of a doctor

directly ending someone’s life. This is known as active euthanasia. Purposely
giving someone a lethal dose of a sedative is considered active euthanasia.

Passive euthanasia is sometimes described as withholding or limiting life-

sustaining treatments so that a person passes more quickly. A doctor may also
prescribe increasingly high doses of pain-killing medication. Overtime, the doses
may become toxic.
(In India, passive euthanasia is legal and was legalized in the year 2018)

This makes the difference between passive euthanasia and palliative care
blurry. Palliative care focuses on keeping people as comfortable as possible at
the end of their life. A Palliative care doctor might allow someone approaching
death to stop taking a medication that causes unpleasant side effects. Many
don’t consider it euthanasia.

Sanath-

Voluntary vs Nonvoluntary-

If someone makes a conscious decision to seek help with ending

their life, it’s considered voluntary euthanasia. The person must give their full
consent and demonstrate that they fully understand what will happen.

Nonvoluntary euthanasia involves someone else making the decision to end

someone’s life. A close family member usually makes the decision. This generally
done when someone is completely unconscious or permanently incapacitated. It
usually involves passive euthanasia, such as withdrawing life support from
someone who’s showing no signs of brain activity. (Means the ‘Brain-dead’).

Manish:

According to euthanasia opponent Ezekiel Emanuel, proponents of

euthanasia have presented four main arguments:

a) that people have a right to self-determination, and thus should be allowed to

choose their own fate;

b) assisting a subject to die might be a better choice than requiring that they
continue to suffer;

c) the distinction between passive euthanasia, which is often permitted, and

active euthanasia, which is not substantive (or that the underlying principle–
the doctrine of double effect–is unreasonable or unsound);

d) permitting euthanasia will not necessarily lead to unacceptable consequences.

Pro-euthanasia activists often point to countries like Netherlands and Belgium,
and states like Oregon, where euthanasia has been legalized.
Round 2-

Swarang-

Is euthanasia legal activity? –

“West’s Encyclopedia of American Law states” that Euthanasia or mercy killing

is considered to be a criminal homicide.People have debated over the legality of
euthanasia for centuries. Today, laws about euthanasia are different across
states and countries.

In the United States, PAS is legal in-

 Washington
 Oregon
 California
 Colorado
 Montana
 Vermont
 Washington, D.C.
 Hawaii (beginning in 2019)

Each of these states and Washington, D.C. have different legal requirements.
Not every case of PAS is legal..

Outside the United States, several countries made Euthanasia legal.

The Following Countries are:

 Switzerland
 Germany
 Japan
 Netherlands
 Belgium
 Luxembourg
 Colombia
 Canada

Kartik-

Opinion-
 A 2013 poll in the New England Journal of Medicine found that
65% of people in 74 countries were against PAS. In the United States, 67% of
people were against it.

However, a majority in 11 of the 74 countries voted in favor of PAS. Plus, a

majority of voters in 18 U.S. states expressed support for PAS. Washington and
Oregon, which had legalized PAS at the time of the poll, weren’t among those 18
states. This suggests that opinions about euthanasia and PAS are rapidly
changing.

By 2017, a Gallup poll found a large shift in attitudes in the United States.
Almost three-quarters of people surveyed supported euthanasia. Another 67%
said doctors should be allowed to assist patients with suicide.

(Interestingly, a study in the United Kingdom found that the majority of

doctors weren’t in favor of voluntary euthanasia and PAS. Their main objection
was based on religious issues.)

Abhishek-

Prevalence-

In countries where it’s legal a 2016 review found euthanasia

accounts for 0.3 to 4.6 percent deaths. More than 70 percent of those deaths
were related to cancer.

The review also found that in Washington and Oregon, doctors write less than
1% of prescriptions for assisted suicide.

Sanath-

Controversy and euthanasia-

There are many arguments both for and against euthanasia and PAS. Most
of these arguments fall into 4 main categories

 Morality and religion- Some people believe euthanasia is murder and find
it unacceptable for moral reasons. Many argue that the ability to decide
your own death weakens the sanctity of life.
 Physician judgement- PAS is only legal if someone is mentally capable of
making the choice. However, doctors find it difficult to determine
someone’s mental health.
  Ethics-Some doctors and opponents of PAS are concerned about the
ethical complications doctor could face. (As Doctor’s Hippocratic oath
encourages doctors to care for and never harm those under their care)
 Personal choice- “Death with dignity” is a movement that encourages
legislatures to allow people to decide how they want to die.

Shubham:

Is Euthanasia should be made legal?

No. It should not be legalize. The reason is

Euthanasia is considered as murder everywhere in civilized society. So we should

maintain the respect for human life and secular society.

Active Euthanasia is unnecessary because alternative treatments exist.

Euthanasia denies the patient’s final stage of growth.

Manish:

The Roman Catholic Church condemns euthanasia and assisted suicide as morally
wrong. It states that, "intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, is
murder. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the
respect due to the living God, his Creator". Because of this, the practice is
unacceptable within the Church.[78] The Orthodox Church in America, along with
other Eastern Orthodox Churches, also opposes euthanasia stating that
"euthanasia is the deliberate cessation of human life, and, as such, must be
condemned as murder."[79]
Many non-Catholic churches in the United States take a stance against
euthanasia..

Conclusion-

(Any team member can say it)

It’s difficult to make decisions about PAS for yourself or a loved one, even if
everyone’s in complete agreement.

If possible, we should save such people wo are trying for suicide by sharing and
reducing their depression and stress.