Physician Assisted Suicide

By: Anthony HardingDaJanae Wilson-Moss

Georgette Opoku

What is it?

Assisted suicide is the common term for actions by which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. "Assistance" may mean providing one with the means (drugs or equipment) to end one's own life.

What is it? Cont’

In order for this process to work is that the patient must be sound mind when they are requesting the assisted suicide;

there must be a doctor around and a couple other witnesses around as well.

The patient must be diagnosed with a terminal illness as well.

Where is it Legal?

It is legal in: › Washington State

It was originally initiated in 1994 but didn’t pass. However, it passed in 2008

› Oregon 1994 made legal Highest Suicide rate than the US. (35%),

(19%) › Montana

2009 made legal

Suicide in the US According to National statistics the US

suicide is the 11th leading cause of death; it was 33,300 total number of death in 2006.

It was the 7th leading cause of death for males, and 16th leading cause of death for females.

Suicide was the third leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24.

Assisted Suicide Economic Impact

Economic Impact on the patient’s Family Economic Impact on the Hospital Economic Impact on Health Plan or Provider Economic Impact on Healthcare Spending in U.S

Views on Assisted Suicide in Other Countries

Legal in many countries around the world Like The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand Over 10,000 citizens now carry Do not Euthanize me cards Educational Seminars in Australia and New Zealand 86% support it in Britain U.K focuses on palliative care

Assisted Suicide Arguments

Human Right of Freedom Does not burden the

family Patient does not have to

suffer Large Mange Care Plans

would Save Would cut some of the

Deficit Hospitals would save Die with Dignity

Put pressure on Patient with Mental disorder

Would Target Low income and some Middle Class

Separation of church and State (Against Religion)

Doctors Given too much Power Government insurance

companies, and hospital will force it

Miracle Cures can and will occur in Science

History proved it to be bad (Jim Jones, Hitler, Dr. Korvorkian)

Positive Negative

Assisted Suicide On T.V for the 1st time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XDOzT3_HfwI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Rk3ri1ADIs

34 States have statutes explicitly criminalizing assisted suicide.

9 States criminalize assisted suicide through common law. AL, ID, MD, MS, MI, SC, NV, VT, and WV

4 States have ruled that assisted suicide is not a criminal offense. NC, UT, OH, and WY

2 States permit physician-assisted suicide Virginia is the only state to have no case law

criminalizing assisted suicide.

Some Physician Assisted Suicide Stats in the United States

PAS – Legalized in Oregon, Washington and Montana

Reasons patients gave requesting PAS in Oregon:

• 86% - Decreasing ability to participate in ADLs that made life enjoyable

• 100% - Loss of autonomy• 86% - Loss of dignity• 90% - patients died at home• 88% - patients were on hospice• PAS accounts for 15.6 per 10,00deaths in Oregon

PAS in Other Countries

Canada – PAS is still illegal Netherlands: * Legal under strict circumstances * Remains highly favored U.K – Illegal (palliative care) Switzerland – penal code does not

condemn assisted suicide Belgium and Netherlands - Legal

Conclusion

Remains a controversial topic The doctors role – “The Hippocratic

Oath” Moral religious arguments – murder Guilt – patients feel they are burden The patient might recover – against all

odds

Questions

Refrences

1. http://www.theweek.co.uk/politics/25333/pros-and-cons-assisted-suicide#2. http://supremelypsych.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/the-reality-about-physician-assisted-suicide-pro

s-and-cons/3. http://paulahenry1.hubpages.com/hub/Is-There-Such-a-Thing-as-an-Ethical-Euthanasia-The-Pros-an

d-Cons#4. http://dying.about.com/od/physicianassistedsuicide/a/why_PAS.htm5. http://www.balancedpolitics.org/assisted_suicide.htm6. http://danariely.com/2011/05/05/physician-assisted-suicide-and-behavioral-economics/7. http://politix.topix.com/homepage/1055/results?state=1

8. http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/01/18/prsb0118.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_suicide_in_the_United_States http://www.assistedsuicide.org/