1. Euthanasia
By: VV-K

2. What is Euthanasia?
The word Euthanasia originates from the Greek language: “eu” means good, and “thanatos” means death
Euthanasia: The practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering

3. Types of Euthanasia
Voluntary, known as Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS)
This is euthanasia conducted with consent
A physician supplies information and/or the means of committing suicide to a person
EX) Prescription for lethal pills or supply of carbon monoxide gas)

4. Types of Euthanasia Involuntary:
This is euthanasia conducted without consent
The killing of a person who has not explicitly requested aid in dying
Most often occurs in patients persistent in a vegetative state, and will probably never recover consciousness
Violates one’s natural desire to live

5. Types of Euthanasia Passive:
Hastening the death of a person by altering some form of support and letting nature take its course
Ex) Removing life support, stopping medical procedures, medications, not delivering CPR

6. Types of Euthanasia Active:
This involves causing the death of a person through a direct action, in response to a request from that person
Lethal substances or forces are used to end the patients life
Jack Kevorkian “Doctor Death” was imprisoned for “helping” kill numerous people because they were in so much pain
He was later sentenced in prison for years

7. Provides relief from pain, physically, and mentally
Options for terminal patients or those with intractable suffering and pain, instead of euthanasia.
Palliative care
An approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illnesses, through the prevention and relief of suffering
The goal of palliative care is for patients and families to accept dying as a normal process and how to cope with it
Provides relief from pain, physically, and mentally
Strives to offer a support system to help patients live their remaining time as actively as they can to help families deal with the illness of a loved one

8. Refusing Treatment
In many countries a patient can refuse treatment that is recommended by a doctor or some other health care professional as long as they have been properly informed and are of sound mind
Some countries exclude people under the age of 18
Nobody can give consent on behalf of an incompetent adult, ex) Coma
Doctors take into account the best interests of the patient when deciding on treatment options

9. A patient’s best interests are based on:
What the patient wanted when he/she was competent
The patient’s general state of health
The patient’s spiritual and religious beliefs
Ex) The doctor may decide the best option for a patient who is declared as clinically brain dead is to switch off life- support machines; equipment without which the patient would die
The doctor will discuss matters with the family, however strict criteria must be met on the doctor’s final decision

10. A Living Will (Advance Directive)
This is a legally binding document which anybody may draw up in advance if they are concerned that perhaps they will be unable to express their wishes at a later time
In the advance directive the individual states what they want to happen if they become too ill to be able to consent/refuse medical treatment

11. Euthanasia History
About 400 B.C. – The Hippocratic Oath: "I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel”
14th through 20th Century English Common Law – For over 700 years, the Anglo American common law tradition has punished or otherwise disapproved of both suicide and assisting suicide
1939 – amid the turmoil of the outbreak of war Hitler ordered widespread "mercy killing" of the sick and disabled. Nazi euthanasia program to eliminate "life unworthy of life" at first focused on newborns and very young children. And expanded to older children and adults

12. Where is Euthanasia Legal
1998 U.S. state of Oregon legalizes assisted suicide
2000 The Netherlands legalizes euthanasia
2002 Belgium legalizes euthanasia
2008 U.S. state of Washington legalizes assisted suicide
VERY controvercial
Legalizing euthanasia has been a very well-discussed topic of debate

13. For Euthanasia Reasons for voluntary euthanasia:
Freedom of Choice – The patient should be given the option to make their own choice
Quality of Life – Only the patient is really aware of what it is like to experience the pain, those who have not experienced it can not fully understand the effect it has on quality of life
Dignity- every individual should be given the ability to die with dignity
Drain on resources - in virtually every country there is never enough hospital space, so why not channel the resources of staff, equipment, hospital beds and medications towards life-saving treatments makes more sense; especially when these resources are currently spent on terminal patients with intractable suffering who wish to die

14. Why should the patient be forced to experience a slow death?
Humane - it is more humane to allow a person with intractable suffering to be allowed to choose to end that suffering.
Loved ones - it helps shorten the grief and suffering of the patient's loved ones
Prolongation of dying- if the dying process is unpleasant, the patient should have the right to reduce this unpleasantness
Why should the patient be forced to experience a slow death?

15. Against Euthanasia They agreed to the Hippocratic Oath
Reasons against euthanasia
The Doctor’s Role – doctors and other health care professionals may have their role compromised
They agreed to the Hippocratic Oath
Moral religious argument – several religions see euthanasia as a form of murder and morally unacceptable
Competence – euthanasia is only voluntary if the patient is mentally competent
determining or defining competence is not straightforward

16. The big question: How can it be regulated?
The patient might recover – against all odds, the diagnosis might be wrong
Palliative care – good palliative care makes euthanasia unnecessary
The big question: How can it be regulated?
Euthanasia can not be properly regulated
Regulated: by means of pain, if they are conscious? Able to make decisions?

17. Is It Ethical?
Should terminally ill patients be given the right to commit suicide?
Suicide is a legal act available to all
But a person who is terminally ill or in a hospital setting may not be able option to free themselves from their suffering
People believe that because they not of “sound mind” they cannot make this decision
There are many religious, social, and moral aspects involved – Very Controversial

18. Beliefs
Many religions believe that it is immoral to deliberately end your life
They believe that you should be grateful for the life you have not matter the circumstances
Who is to say what a tolerable level of pain is?
Is it physical pain? Mental?
Many people argue that pain experienced by terminally ill people can be controlled through proper management
That there is no need for euthanasia
Yet others believe that if you are suffering and wish to die you should be able to do so

19. What If Euthanasia Is Legalized In Canada?
Will people feel pressure to use euthanasia?
Some may feel obligated to end their life if something happened to them
The system of relieving “suffering” patients might be unclear
Although, keeping people alive with expensive treatments and medications cost a lot of money
Why waste keep someone alive if they no longer have or want to continue living
May influence elderly people to resort to euthanasia
There are pros and cons to legalizing euthanasia

20. After all of the pros and cons, ethics, and religious viewpoints:
Would you allow a loved one to be relieved from their pain?
Or would you let nature take its course?
Summary of presentation

21. Works Cited
Euthanasia. (2011). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1. Nordqvist, Christian. (2010). What is Euthanasia. Retrieved from Euthanasia: Killing The Dying. Retrieved from ProCon. (2010). History of Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide. Retrieved from Right To Life. (2012). Where Is It Legal in The World. Retrieved from Kastenbaum, Robert. (2011). Euthanasia – Euthanasia : History, Controversy, Facts. Retrieved from (2005). Euthanasia. Retrieved from