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  • Essay / The American Medical Association and Euthanasia

    Every day, millions of people are diagnosed with terminal illnesses or are seriously injured in accidents. Sometimes these illnesses and accidents turn into long, excruciating and painful deaths. Although medications may provide brief pain relief, the long-term agony the patient faces is unrelenting. Undoubtedly, human life has enormous value and for this reason it must be preserved in every possible way. However, when terminal illness reaches its final stages, or the damage caused by an accident is too much to handle and the only option left is death, shouldn't the decision rest with the patient to put end his suffering and pain in a dignified manner. ? Or in cases where the patient has an obstacle to making a decision, shouldn't the family have the opportunity to end their suffering? In a free society, euthanasia should be considered a legal and humane option for patients suffering from terminal illnesses and victims of accidents, primarily because every human being has the right to die in a manner decent. The American Medical Association (AMA) defines euthanasia. in its Code of Ethics as the administration of a deadly agent by another person to a patient for the purpose of relieving their intolerable and incurable suffering (cited in Frey). Euthanasia is classified in two ways: as active or passive, and as voluntary or involuntary. The first category refers to the means of ending life and the second to decision-making. Active euthanasia is associated with the act of merciful death, while passive euthanasia involves refusing medical care or doing nothing to avoid death. When we talk about voluntary euthanasia, is the patient the one who occupies the middle of the paper...... integral part of life and one of the tasks is to understand and grow from suffering, we cannot escape it. For individual freedoms and the general benefit of society, euthanasia should be permitted and morally acceptable. Works Cited British Broadcasting Corporation. British Broadcasting Corporation. BBC, 2009. The web. April 14, 2014Frey Rebecca, Ph. D “Euthanasia”. The Gale Encyclopedia of Senior Health: A Guide for Older Adults and Their Caregivers. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 5 vols. Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health, 3rd ed., Detroit: Gale, 2013, pp. 1282-1285. Marker, Rita L. Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide & Health Care Decisions: Protecting Yourself & Health Your Family. Patients' Rights Council, 2006. Web. April 14, 2014 Walters, Ray. “Death with Dignit,” Letters to the Editor, Burlington Free Press, April 12, 2005. Web. April 13. 2014