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Would You Choose Physician-Assisted Death? Should it Even be Legal?
Once called “assisted suicide,” medical aid in dying for terminally ill patients is gaining wider acceptance, but fierce criticism remains
If you were terminally ill with only weeks or months to live, and suffering greatly, would you want the option to end your life with the help of trained physicians? In most US states and most countries, you would not have the legal option.
That’s gradually changing.
This week New York lawmakers passed a bill to allow terminally ill patients to end their lives with the help of a physician. As of this writing, it’s not clear if Gov. Kathy Hochul will sign it into law. If she does, New York would become the 12th US state, along with the District of Columbia, to allow some form of assisted dying, preferably called medical aid in dying (MAID) by advocates for a person’s right to make their own end-of-life decisions with dignity.
“This legislation offers terminally ill individuals the autonomy to choose a peaceful and dignified passing, surrounded by loved ones,” co-sponsor and state senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, a Democrat, said in a statement. “It’s about honoring choice, alleviating suffering, and treating people with the…
