Death With Dignity
When someone hears the words “Death With Dignity”, it is unlikely that their first thought is of medically assisted suicide. For the terminally ill, waiting for death, while knowing it is imminent, feels humiliating. Being terminally ill is painful and difficult to watch for everyone involved. Having the option to die a peaceful, comfortable death when a person wants to is a form of autonomy we do not recognize widely enough. Granted, medically assisted death should not be an option anyone can opt for, and should be reserved for those close to death. America has, however, made this decision incredibly difficult to access, often having to have states fight for the right, if they even recognize medically assisted death as something desired.
Death with dignity refers to organizations and legislation encompassing peaceful end-of-life options. This term arose from the Oregon statute that gave life-ending medicines to those eligible. People who are eligible for end-of-life options meet a few requirements. Generally, the person at hand must be over the age of 18, terminally ill with a prognosis that states they have 6 or fewer months to live, mentally sound enough to make their own healthcare decisions, and able to manage the ingestion of their medication. While medically assisted death may sound and seem crude, it is often the most humane way for someone who is terminally ill to go out. In fact, using terms like assisted suicide or physician-assisted suicide (P-AS) often creates a stigma around it. The people who do commit to P-AS have often also thought about it for a long time, as they must jump through many obstacles to actually receive the option to go through with P-AS. Terminally ill patients must live in a certain state, must confirm with their healthcare provider, and prove they are not being coerced. Over 90% in Oregon who choose P-AS actually administer the medicine themselves, at home. Organizations like The Academy of Aid in Dying Medicine (AADM) walk patients through each step of the process, even providing education and hospice/clinical resources.
In the present day, only 13 states have legalized medically assisted death. Oregon was the first state to take this step forward officially in 1994. The debate surrounding whether laws criminalizing P-AS were unconstitutional, however, was denied in 1997 by the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court did still leave P-AS as a states’ rights matter. Oregon itself only legalized it in a vote, winning by a close 51%. When, following the ruling in 1997, Oregon voted on P-AS again, it still only won with 60%. Michigan, Washington, California, and Maine also voted on death with dignity in the same year, all resulting in four denials. Maine tried again in 2002, still losing with 48.5%.
The large majority of states still have P-AS criminalized. The argument they supply often comes in 2 different forms. They either state that P-AS often pressures terminal patients who are scared of being a burden, or that it simply goes against medical ethics. Those who believe strongly in the second argument, such as US Attorney General John Ashcroft, do not consider assisted death a legitimate medical purpose. Ashcroft has also tried to override Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act in 2001. He argued that P-AS has no medical purpose due to the lethal drugs it involves. This would charge doctors who helped in P-AS with having their federal narcotics licenses taken. In the following year, a US District Judge put to rest the case, stating that Ashcroft “overstepped the authority of the federal Controlled Substances Act”.
To those who are terminally ill, assisted death is more than just relief. It is a guarantee, one where they know they are near the end, but they are ready to face it. Such solace is only granted to those who live in the few states that protect this right, and are always in danger of being denied at any time as well. To sum it up, we need to destigmatize Death with Dignity. While it may appear unethical and obscene at first, it takes the proper steps needed so only those who truly need it receive its help. Providing end-of-life care is just as important as any other form of healthcare, whether it is recognized globally or not.
Bibliography
“Compassion & Choices Home.” Compassion & Choices, compassionandchoices.org/.
Lagay, Faith . “Physician-Assisted Suicide: The Law and Professional Ethics.” Virtual Mentor, vol. 5, no. 1, Jan. 2003, journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/physician-assisted-suicide-law-and-professional-ethics/2003-01, https://doi.org/10.1001/virtualmentor.2003.5.1.pfor1-0301.
Parrot, Carol. “Death with Dignity.” Death with Dignity, 2022, deathwithdignity.org/resources/faqs/.