Ryan’s uncle, Larry, has been sick in the hospital for months. Larry is in severe pain, and the doctor said he only has about a month to live. He approached his doctor to give him medicine so he could end his life. Larry believes this approach would be better for him and his family. However, Larry’s doctor refused. She said it is a doctor’s responsibility to help save lives, not end them. Ryan is sad about his uncle and does not want him to die any sooner. But he also does not want his Uncle Larry to suffer.

People like Ryan’s uncle say they don’t want to experience weeks or months of pain as they are dying. They may worry about not being able to do anything they enjoy. As they become more sick, they may become unable to feed or bathe themselves. They may also worry about how much money medical support will cost their families. 

The idea of physician-assisted death (also called physician-assisted suicide) started to gain support in the 1990s. Advocates say that patients who are already dying should be allowed to pursue a peaceful death to end their suffering. In 1997, Oregon became the first state to allow doctors to assist with death for patients who have a terminal illness. Oregon’s new law was called the “Death with Dignity Act.” In certain cases, a patient may ask a doctor to prescribe a medication they could use to end their life. Patients then choose whether to take this medication. 

Others are critical of physician-assisted suicide. They say patients are not capable of making that choice. For one thing, patients who are very sick or in pain may not think clearly. They may just want to end the pain, not their lives. The right treatment could be all that is needed for prevention of pain. They may also point out that providing patients with deadly medication goes against the doctor’s oath to “do no harm”. Those who are against assisted suicide also worry that family members might urge a sick relative to die in order to reduce medical bills. In addition, many people say that assisting with suicide is simply wrong. They believe that human beings don’t have the right to take lives, even their own.

People who support assisted suicide say it is cruel to make people suffer a slow and painful death. They want to alter the laws to make physician-assisted death legal throughout the U.S. As of 2024, ten states and the District of Columbia allow physician-assisted death. In all other states, a doctor who assists a patient with suicide can be considered guilty of murder. 

Where do you stand? Should doctors be allowed to assist seriously ill patients with suicide?