The heavily debated issue : voluntary euthanasia

The practice of euthanasia, which dates back to about 400 BC in Ancient Greece, never used to be a source of shame. In fact, “euthanasia” in its original Greek translates roughly to a phrase for “dying well” (in Greek, “eu” means “good” and “thanasia” means “death”).

That was 2417 years ago- today, a stigma against voluntary euthanasia exists, and many opposing it insist that the practice is “morally unacceptable”. According to a 2014 survey of the American public by Rasmussen Reports, 30% of respondents oppose voluntary euthanasia and 17% don’t care. However, is it considered “morally unacceptable” to impede a person’s rights and freedoms? Wouldn’t it be considered “morally unacceptable” to allow a person who’s experiencing excruciating pain and is aware that their situation won’t get better to be forced to live? “Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of peace,” the Dalai Lama once said. There will be no peace for the restless if we allow our pre-existing negative thoughts to influence our minds.

Voluntary euthanasia is, by definition, the procedure of ending someone’s life in a painless way because the person has the will to die. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines it as “Those instances of euthanasia in which a clearly competent person makes a voluntary and enduring request to be helped to die”, and Michael Manning defined it as “Intentionally administering medications to cause the patient’s death at the patient’s request and with full, informed consent.”

The opposition argues about feasibility of implementation and the validity of a patient’s consent under pressure. The original definition of voluntary euthanasia (from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) requires the patient to be “clearly competent” for euthanasia to be considered voluntary. Therefore, arguments about feasibility of implementation aren’t valid, because for voluntary euthanasia to be performed, the patient must be competent to give consent and understand what’s going on.

Furthermore, the most compelling argument made by people who are adamantly against voluntary euthanasia is the that the patient may not make sound decisions under pressure. Critics say that patients may experience psychological pressure when they’re in the hospital for a prolonged period, and some may choose voluntary euthanasia rather than become a financial burden for their families. But this argument is also erroneous, as Canada has a flexible and universal healthcare system which is known for subsidizing most of the healthcare costs, and ensures that everyone has equal access to healthcare. In fact, Canada ranks 12th in the list of countries that spend the most on health care, spending $4608 USD per capita per year.

We are fortunate to live in Canada, a country where it’s mandatory to medically assist a patient to die, given that they meet eligibility criteria. The benefits of legalizing voluntary euthanasia are realizing individual freedom, reducing needless pain or suffering, and providing psychological reassurance to patients, as mentioned in Ezekiel J. Emmanuel’s paper on his 109th volume of Ethics published by the University of Chicago Press. In this volume, he discusses the sense of relief and freedom a person has when they are able to choose to end their life, the estimated amount of people that could benefit from legalization of voluntary euthanasia, and discusses a mind-blowing statistic- 41.6% of cancer patients and 44.1% of the public would gain trust in their physicians if voluntary euthanasia was included in their end-of-life care.

In conclusion, voluntary euthanasia has been a practice for a long time, and what was originally embraced isn’t anymore. We need to understand that it’s the patients who get to make the decisions, and their voice and concerns should be prioritized the most. Healthcare serves the needs of the patient, and based on this statement, it would only be rightful and moral if we gave the option to patients to choose voluntary euthanasia if they want to.

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