Legalization of Euthanasia

Sean Bae

Preview

• What
• Problems
• Legal status
• Solution/justification

euthanasia

/yo͞oTHəˈnāZH(ē)ə/

noun

1. the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma

[Oxford English Dictionary]

Terminal diseases

cause unbearable

amount of pain

More than

70%

of people are concerned about loss of dignity

[​Oregon Public Health Division]

hospice

/ˈhäspəs/

noun

2. a facility or program designed to provide a caring environment for meeting the physical and emotional needs of the terminally ill

[Merriam-Webster Dictionary]

Focus on minimization of pain

Not everyone can afford hospice care or traditional medical care

Euthanasia is legal in

• California
• Montana
• Oregon
• Vermont
• Washington

Oregon

Euthanasia in Oregon

• 18 or older
• Terminal disease
• 2 oral requests
• 1 written request
• 2 doctors' approvals

Lessons from Oregon

• Does not allow impulsive decisions
• Poor, uneducated, or minorities are not forced
• No observation of abuse of the framework

Conclusion