Topic/Problem
Statement:
I chose
to do my literature review on the legalization of doctor-prescribed suicide and
the Death with Dignity Act. It had been a conversation in my house and I had
been interested in the subject when I heard. I chose to research it to
learn more about the topic and the pros and cons behind assisted suicide.
Literature
Review Question:
What does
the literature say about doctor-prescribed suicide and the Death with Dignity
Act?
Literature
Review:
At some point in our lives, we are forced
to face the inevitable that is death. We can only hope and pray that this will
come later in life, when one’s skin is covered in wrinkles and their legs move
a little slower. But in an instant, we can become forced to think about death
and the end of our lives sooner than anyone would hope. How one approaches the
idea of death, whether they choose to seek medical attention and use sciences
in attempt to prolong their life expectancy, or meet death head on to preserve
the joys and pleasures of living, is a controversial topic up for debate
throughout the nation. In Oregon and Washington State, it is legal for a
patient with the life expectancy of approximately six months or less, to visit
a physician and receive a prescription to end their lives (Barber). The Death
with Dignity act allows doctors to prescribe patients a lethal injection, as
long as the patient is lucid and aware of the decision they are making, and
it’s their decision. Some doctors stand beside this act, respecting and
agreeing with the patient’s decision to end their life on their own terms,
before the effects of illnesses take away life’s pleasures. Others disagree,
arguing that writing a prescription is no different than pulling a trigger and
that injecting the lethal poison into one’s body shouldn’t be considered
dignified, and is the same as overdosing on a bottle of anti-depressants. What
does the literature say about doctor-prescribed suicide and the Death with
Dignity Act?
Many positives can be associated with the doctor-prescribed suicide, and can
justify the legalization of the Death with Dignity Act throughout the nation.
This Act allows patients who don’t want to see life and the world from a more
disabled viewpoint to terminate their lives on their own terms. Patients who
also don’t want to feel suffering or feel pain also take the more permanent
route. Many also argue that whether or not one believes doctor-prescribed
suicide is ethical, they don’t have the right to prevent one from using this
option if it’s their preference. The Death with Dignity act has multiple
arguments as to why it should be a legalized act throughout the Unites States.
When thinking about any illness, whether it is cancer or a minor head cold,
symptoms and side effects are always present. Some can be painful, cause
discomfort, and take away one’s ability to do different tasks. Avoidance of
pain and an inability to deal with side effects and symptoms only to face what
has been diagnosed as inevitable death is one of the reasons patients choose to
end their lives on their own terms. Many patients do not wish to prolong
suffering only when they know death is near. In a survey, the family members of
patients who underwent the Death with Dignity Act described how patients felt.
Patients experienced “loss of control of bodily functions (68 percent), loss of
autonomy (63 percent), physical suffering (53 percent), and an inability to
participate in activities that make life enjoyable (47 percent)” (Sullivan).
Fourteen of 19 family members discussed that the patient wanted to feel control
over their death, and how it happened (Sullivan). “Eleven of these 14 family
members, plus 3 others mentioned the patient's wish to avoid a prolonged death;
4 specifically noted the patient's fear of ending life in a coma and on a
respirator” (Sullivan). Patients wish to end their lives in their own terms, as
way to end suffering, pain, and fear, yet many wish to stop them, to let them
suffer. The Death with Dignity Act “exists only for dying patients whose
mental, physical, and emotional suffering has become intolerable and who wish a
peaceful and dignified passing” (Is the Oregon Death). Many people suffer from
all kinds of illnesses, many of which are terminal. Death with Dignity allows
them to control how much suffering they can endure. “It will be unfair and
inhuman to allow them stand the intolerable pain” (Death with Dignity Act).The
Death with Dignity Act allows patients who wish to end their suffering on their
own terms and to take control of their bodies, which is a positive thing and
can be used in the argument for nationwide legalization.
Every adult is capable of making their own decisions, as every adult should
have the right to make the best decision for them. So if someone feels the best
possible decision is to terminate their own life, then shouldn’t they be
allowed to make that their decision for them self? Another argument supporting
the Death with Dignity Act is the fact that we shouldn’t have the ability to
take away someone’s decision about how they want to handle situations. “The
very existence of Oregon's Death with Dignity law gives comfort and peace of
mind to terminally patients at life's end--regardless of whether or not they
choose to use it” (Is the Oregon Death). Whether or not you support the act, or
agree in doctor prescribed suicide, it’s not up to you what someone else does
with their life. If someone feels that this option is best for them, and it’s
what they want, then they should have the ability to make that decision for
themselves. “Whether or not you would consider assisted dying as a personal
option, we should allow others to exercise their preferences” (Cohen). Adults
are capable of making their own decisions, and with the legalization of the
Death with Dignity Act, they can choose for themselves and not be forced to
suffer.
Many things can support the Death with Dignity Act’s legalization. It allows
suffering patients a release, a way to take control of their destiny. It gives
patients who have lost control of themselves and want to end their life on
their own terms a way to make that happen. It’s the patient’s own, personal
decision how they choose to handle their situation, and they should have all
options available to them when dealing this life decision. The Death with
Dignity Act has many positives to it, and, as Lewis Cohen stated, “it is time
we became pro-choice at the end of life.”
While there are many positives that walk hand-in-hand with the legalization of
the Death with Dignity Act, there are also plenty of signs which point to a
road full of cons. Many argue that the act is plain suicide, there’s no dignity
about it, and calling it dignified is ridiculous. Allowing the legalization of
the Death with Dignity Act also can allow unethical actions to occur, a shady
doctor or a crazed family member can convince a patient that this is the best
option for them, when that may not be the case. The patient way also have false
intentions of what they plan to use the prescription for; instead of injecting
the lethal drug into their own arm, it may end up in someone else’s. There are
many cons that suggest the legalization of the Death with Dignity Act will be a
negative effect on society.
Suicide is almost always seen as a tragedy and a loss, for both the
victim and the family. No one should meaningfully encourage one to take their
own life. But, the Death with Dignity Act is essentially encouraging people to
take their own life. It’s telling people, “Take your life, kill yourself, it’s
a way to go with dignity.” But what about those who choose to live as long as
they are able to, those who fight against their illness until their last
breath? Calling suicide “dignified” can distort the whole meaning of the word,
and “those who are morally opposed to suicide may then fail to pursue other
dignified ways of controlling their destiny” (Ubel). Calling suicide a
dignified makes fighting look silly and weak, when in reality, many can argue
that it is the opposite. “There are plenty of other ways for terminally ill
patients to control the circumstances of their death, making it wrong to equate
dignity with suicide,” (Ubel) which is one reason the legalization of the Death
with Dignity Act can be negative for the nation.
With the idea of a doctor-prescribed suicide, many concerns about false
intention come up almost immediately. The patient may be receiving this lethal prescription
for all the wrong reasons. Maybe their real plan is to “slip it into hubby’s
coffee” or use it as a get out of jail free card for some extreme debts
(Capriotti). As a horrible of a thought as it is, there are who could take
their illness, use this option, but inflict pain onto someone else instead of
using the injection for its real purpose. The fear of people taking advantage
of this act is another con and arguments against its legalization.
Along with the patient’s misguided intentions, there’s also a fear of malice
from doctors and family members. You would hope you can trust your doctor,
especially when discussing actual life and death, but there could always be
that one shady man with a screw loose in the head. Before, a woman in Oregon
had been prescribed assisted suicide; even though it was clear she didn’t fully
understand her decision and her daughter was really the one asking for it (Is
the Oregon Death). There could also be family members who heavily influence the
patient’s decision to take the assisted suicide route. “An unscrupulous family
member, the one eye-balling the big inheritance, who convinces the patient that
this is the best thing to do for ‘everyone concerned’” (Capriotti) could be the
reason the patient chooses to undergo doctor-prescribed suicide, even if they
themselves are not fully aware of their decision. The unpredictable malice that
can occur within the patient’s trusted circle of friends, family, and doctor’s
is an example of the cons to the Death with Dignity Act.
Doctor-prescribed suicide alone sounds like a negative thing, never mind the
cons that go with it. The Death with Dignity act can make those who fight
against their terminal illness feel like their fight is unnecessary and
ridiculous, and turns around the meaning of dignity and twists it inside out.
Outside sources could be the driving force behind the person’s wish to end
their life, or the patient could have other intentions in how they plan to use
the lethal injection given to them. Maybe the fact that it’s just plain suicide
and homicide is enough to turn the nation against the Death with Dignity Act.
Maybe the negatives are far greater than the positives for nationwide
legalization.
The Death with Dignity Act creates a lot of controversy throughout the nation.
Some may argue that it’s plain suicide, and that there are far too many
negative outcomes that could occur with a nationwide legalization of the act.
Many believe that “Death with Dignity or mercy killing is ethically incorrect
and must be prohibited by law” (Death with Dignity Act). Others state that it’s
not their business what each person does with their own lives, and that the
legalization of the Death with Dignity Act is a positive thing for the nation.
They say that “when the patient's primary objective is not to end an otherwise
open-ended span of life, but to find dignity in an already impending exit from
this world” (Barber) then why fight the act? The literature revealed many
things about the different opinions on the Death with Dignity Act and its
nationwide legalization.
Gap
Identification:
The
research I found had mainly focused on the opinions and studies developed by
doctors or people in the medical field. None of the research was taken from the
opinions or the current thoughts of this generation’s teens. The fate of this
act will have the most effect on the upcoming generation of adults, yet there
is no information about their thoughts on Death with Dignity.
Research
Question:
What is
the opinion of teens on the legalization of the Death with Dignity Act?
Methodology:
Data
Collection Process and Instrument:
In order
to understand teen’s opinions on the subject of legalizing the Death with
Dignity Act, I created a qualitative survey in which was given to 25 students
at Norton High School. They were assigned to answer 4 questions regarding
assisted suicide, after reading a small paragraph to help everyone better
understand the act. The first question asked “How do you feel about the Death
with Dignity Act and the idea of assisted suicide?” Students then answered the
question however they felt fit. The second question read “In your opinion, is
it ethical for a doctor to prescribe a lethal injection to a patient?” and they
answered yes or no. ”If someone has a terminal illness, and they make the
decision to end their life, could you respect or understand their decision? Why
or why not?” was the third question they were asked to answer. And the final
question they were given asked “Do you feel the Death with Dignity Act should
be legalized nationwide? Why or why not?” After they completed the survey, it
was given back to me.
My survey
was given to 25 different freshmen, all around ages 14 and 15. More females
were given the survey than males, but the survey was collected anonymously, so
gender has no correlation to the results of the survey. The large sample
population can correlate with the large amounts of teens that could have an
opinion on the topic of assisted suicide, and the survey can help understand
their thoughts.
After collecting all of the participants’ surveys, conclusions can be made
about the everyday teen’s opinion on assisted suicide and the legalization of
the Death with Dignity Act. When asked the question on their opinion of
doctor-assisted suicide, 15 out of 25 students said that they believed the
Death with Dignity Act was a good option for those who were suffering and
wanted to take the assisted suicide route, as long as it was their own decision
and they were in a clear mental state. 4 students had neutral or mixed feelings
regarding the act, and 6 students disagreed with the idea of the Death with
Dignity Act. Students were then asked if they believed it was ethical for
doctors to prescribe a lethal injection to patients in order to end their life.
16 out of 25 people believed it is ethical and okay for doctors to prescribe
the injection. 8 out of 25, disagree, explaining that the doctor is basically
murdering their own patient. 1 person had a neutral opinion, saying it was
dependent on the situation. My third question asked students that if someone
had a terminal illness, and they made the decision to end their life, could
they respect or understand the patient’s decisions. 21 out of 25 participants
stated that they could respect a patient’s decision to undergo the Death with
Dignity Act, that it is their life and they can do what they feel is the best
option for them. 4 out of 25 stated that they could not respect someone who
chooses to end their life before their time had run out. The final question I
asked students taking my survey was simply “Do you feel the Death with Dignity
Act should be legalized nationwide? Why or why not?” 14 out of 25 students
believe that the Death with Dignity Act should be a legalized act in the United
States, stating that it’s the patient’s life and they should be able to handle
their situation how they see fit. 9 students disagree, arguing that patients
should fight to their last breath and that suicide should not be encouraged. 2
people were unsure of how they felt towards the legalization of the act or had
no opinion. After completing my literature review, I was left asking myself
this: what is the opinion of teens on the legalization of the Death with
Dignity Act? My findings from my research can help my find the answer.
Findings:
After analyzing the results I gathered from my survey research, I can come to
the conclusion that teens have mixed emotions about the legalization of the
Death with Dignity Act, much like adults. The number of students who felt the
Death with Dignity Act should be legalized was a similar number compared to
those who opposed. 56% believed the act should be passed, which is not a large
majority. And while many can understand and respect a patient’s choice, only
56% believe the act should be a nationwide agreement. Teens agree with adults
when saying that the Death with Dignity Act has positives and negatives, giving
similar reasons for backing up their thoughts as adults did. My research shows
that teens and adults have very similar ways of thinking and their points of
view on the subject are similar. Teens all have different opinions on the Death
with Dignity Act, and what it’s future as an act should look like, much like
adults, which can leave many thinking, positive or negative?
After writing my literature review and conducting my own experiment, I can come
to the conclusion that everyone’s opinions are divided. The pros and cons of
the legalization of the Death with Dignity Act both contain valid points
backing up their argument for the fate of assisted suicide as an act. Adults
and teens are both divided almost in half based on their opinions of doctor
prescribed suicide. How one feel towards death and assisted suicide depends in
their own opinion on life and death. For now the Death with Dignity Act will
remain a largely debated topic in the United States, and continue to create
controversy throughout hospitals and the nation.
Barber,
Melissa. "The Major Myths about Death with Dignity Laws." Death with
Dignity
National
Center. 27 Feb. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
Campbell,
Courtney S. "Ten years of “death with dignity.”." The New Atlantis 22
(2008): 33
-46.
-46.
Capritotti,
Beth. "Hey, Can You Stop at CVS and Pick Up My Suicide Pills?"
Philadelphia
Magazine.
15 Feb. 2012. Web. 7 Nov. 2014.
Cohen,
Lewis. "Physician-Assisted Suicide Was Scandalous, Then Experimental, Now
Almost Mainstream." Slate Magazine. 29 Oct. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
Almost Mainstream." Slate Magazine. 29 Oct. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
"Death
with Dignity Act Pros and Cons." Apecsec.org. 14 Mar. 2014. Web. 20 Nov.
2014.
Demaine,
Jim. "Death with Dignity: Issues States Need to Consider."
KevinMD.com. 7 July
2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
Ganzini,
Linda, et al. "Oregon physicians' attitudes about and experiences with
end-of-life
care since passage of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act." Jama 285.18 (2001):
2363-2369.
care since passage of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act." Jama 285.18 (2001):
2363-2369.
"How
Many People Die Each Year Due to Terminal Illnesses?" – Kgb Answers. 5
Nov.
2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.
2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.
"Is
the Oregon Death with Dignity Act a Good Law? - Euthanasia - ProCon.org."
ProCon.org. Headlines. 5 June 2008. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
ProCon.org. Headlines. 5 June 2008. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
Marshall,
Catherine, and Gretchen B. Rossman. Designing Qualitative Research. 5th ed.
Newbury
Park, Calif.: Sage Publications, 1989. Print.
Sullivan,
Amy D., Katrina Hedberg, and David W. Fleming. "Legalized physician-assisted
suicide
in Oregon—the second year." New England Journal of Medicine 342.8 (2000): 598-604.
Ubel,
Peter. "Don't Confuse Death with Dignity with Suicide." KevinMD.com.
9 Sept. 2013.
Web.
20 Nov. 2014.
