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Problems With Euthanasia Essay

Ethics Detriments of Euthanasia

In recent years there have been increased calls for the acceptance of euthanasia. The practice has been legalized in some European states, such as Switzerland, Holland and Belgium as well as some U.S. states, including Oregon, Montana and Washington (Steck et al., 2013). The increasing acceptance appears to indicate that the benefits of the practice outweigh the costs, but any consideration of euthanasia should also consider the potentially severe detriments. Three hypotheses will be considered in this paper; that euthanasia may lead to the devaluation of life, that euthanasia may increase social divisions, and euthanasia may reduce the attention and commitment to developing effective palliative care.

Euthanasia may result in a devaluation of life

One of the main detriments is the way that the availability of euthanasia may devalue life; it can be easily forfeited...

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Matthews (1998) looked at a country where voluntary euthanasia is legal; Holland, arguing that some cases of voluntary euthanasia were emerging, where doctors believed it was right, but the patient was unable to giver consent. This is trend indicates that doctors are seeing some lives as less worth saving and treating then others. Block (1998) argues that in some cases that in some cases the real reasons why euthanasia is requested may not be investigated; reasons may include depression or concern that the individual maybe a burden (Kaldjian, 2001; Block, 1998), if a patient without a terminal illness made this request further investigations would be made; does this mean that patients with terminal illnesses have lives that are worth less? Pope John Paul II in a letter to the bishops argued that those suffering from terminal illnesses…

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An area of significant concern may be the way in which social divisions may impact on the practice of euthanasia. In Oregon, where euthanasia is legal, Kaldjian (2001) found that of those requesting euthanasia, 60% indicated that one of the influences was a desire not to be a burden. Invariably, those who are most likely to feel there are a burden will come from backgrounds where they will require a higher level of social support, often families of a lower social or economic status, which may also be aligned with ethnic minorities and lower education (Ward, 1980). The disparities which may lead to the desire to avoid being a burden are known to more prevalent with in ethnic minorities, and disadvantaged social groups, were ironically, there is likely to be a higher level of terminal illnesses at younger ages due to the health disparities (Geiger et al., 2007). Interestingly, it is noted that ethnic minorities tend to have a lower level of trust in authorities with regard to decisions made euthanasia and the overall practice (Ward, 1980).

Euthanasia may reduce the attention and commitment to developing effective palliative care.

If increasing numbers of people request euthanasia, rather than live
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