This is rarely debated, primarily because it is seen as letting nature take its course. .
Active Euthanasia .
Active Euthanasia is painlessly putting individuals to death for merciful reasons, as when doctors administers a lethal dose of medication to a patient (Yount, 2000). It differs from passive euthanasia because it is a direct action causing the death of the individual. However, there is a great debate between the two acts. A famous example was the mercy killing in 1998 of a patient who had ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) disease by Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who aided in many successful suicides. His patient was terrified that he would die a horrible death because of the advancing disease. Therefore, he wanted a quick termination of his life (Urofsky, 2000). Dr. Kevorkian's work is considered unethical by most of his peers because that was and is not the function of a medical practitioner. .
Pros and Cons on Euthanasia.
Euthanasia is often seen as a lazy option by many. Euthanasia can destroy the trust between patient and doctor. Treatment decisions are often difficult and communication is the key to assist doctors to understand the patient's wishes. It undermines medical research and does not give the patient an opportunity for the possibility of complete or partial recovery (Magnussan, 2002). The question that always needs an answer is: Should a completely lucid, terminally ill patient in unbearable pain asking for help in committing suicide, be given aid in dying? The argument debated is that patients who are in this predicament are not seen as fully objective about there own situation. They often have a false sense of worthlessness which may affect their judgment. It may also be equally affected by confusion, or dementia. People often wonder if the option of euthanasia were to be legalized would people begin to abuse the system and always revert to that option (Humphrey, 2002).
