EUTHANASIA:
WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN?
Also Called Euthanasia
Can Euthanasia be Controlled
Commonly Asked Questions
Palliative
Care
What
is Euthanasia?
Euthanasia is the deliberate and intentional killing of a human being
by a direct action, such as a lethal injection, or by the failure to
perform even the most basic medical care such as the provision of nutrition
and hydration, necessary to maintain life.
Euthanasia is not.....
the ceasing of medical treatment which is unwanted, or is imposing excessive
burdens on the patient, or is incapable of providing any benefit, or
the use of drugs in doses sufficient to relieve very severe pain. The
use of pain relieving drugs is limited only by the side effects produced
by those drugs. Such drugs rarely endanger life unless used deliberately
in extremely high doses to those unaccustomed to receiving those drugs.
Medical actions intended to relieve suffering are ethical and lawful,
as are the withdrawal of treatments which are only unnecessarily prolonging
dying. Though the patient may later die of his terminal illness and
though such death was foreseen, death was not intended by what was done.
To describe these practices as euthanasia is misleading. Good medical
practice is NOT active killing.
Also Called Euthanasia
Voluntary Euthanasia
this refers to patients who are mentally competent and who ask to be
killed in order to relieve either physical or emotional distress which
they declare unacceptable. In response, someone would intentionally
kill them.
Medically Assisted Suicide
this refers to a situation where a person would be provided with the
means of committing suicide and then would personally perform the act.
Involuntary Euthanasia
this refers to people whose consent is not sought or given, or who cannot
express their wishes, because of immaturity such as a newborn infantl,
mental disability, mental or physical illness or coma. In these instances,
it is decided by others that the person should be killed.
Who
Would Do the Killing?
It is usually assumed that the medical profession would do the killing
despite the fact that every medical association in the world forbids
euthanasia as being unethical. In the context of any illness, the doctor's
role is to alleviate suffering, not to kill. The doctor/patient relationship
which is based on trust would be severely damaged.
If euthanasia was available, the motivation to improve patient care
and to see advances in medical science would be lessened.
Why Euthanasia has Been Rejected
In 1996, the Australian house of Representatives voted to overturn the
Northern Territory Euthanasia Legislation. The Senate confirmed this
action in 1997. As well, every major Government inquiry around the world
in recent years has strongly recommended against legalising euthanasia
(Canada 1982, Victoria 1987, Great Britain 1994, New York State 1994).
Most of the British House of Lord's select committee members initially
supported euthanasia, including the chairman, Lord Walton, who had been
medical consultant to the Voluntary Euthanasia Society. However, after
thorough research and a trip to The Netherlands, the committee unanimously
opposed the legalising of euthanasia, concluding:
"It
would be next to impossible to ensure all the acts were truly voluntary.
We are concerned that vulnerable people - the elderly, lonely, sick
or distressed - would feel pressure, whether real or imagined, to request
early death.
"We believe that the message which society sends to vulnerable
and disadvantaged peole should not, however obliquely, encourage them
to seek death but should assure them of our care and support in life."
Can
Euthanasia be Controlled?
The Dutch Experience.
Euthanasia is allowable and widely practised in Holland. It is supposed
to be subject to safe, established government guidelines, but it has
been proven that these have been widely abused. It is a disaster we
must not copy. The Dutch experience proves that euthanasia is uncontrollable.
Commonly
Asked Questions
1. What about my 'right to die'?
Although a 'right to die' is claimed, what is meant instead is a right
to be killed. There has never been a right to be killed in any code
of ethics. It is a deceptive concept, and no argument is ever made to
support it. Since there is no right to be killed, others are not required
to kill or assist in killing, nor should they do so.
2.
Why should I have to suffer?
Today, doctors can relieve pain and other problems associated with chronic
or terminal illness. It is said by many experts in the field, that if
pain is not under control then the patient is being mismanaged. The
intention should be to eliminate distress in the patient not to eliminate
the patient in distress.
3.
Shouldn't I be allowed to "die with dignity"?
Certainly. However it is a contradiction in terms to think that an act
of killing can achieve a "dignified" or "natural"
death. There is nothing dignified about being killed. Dying people should
be treated with true dignity where their needs are met by providing
effective medical care which values their worth.
4.
But don't life support systems stop people dying a natural death?
The pro-life position is not to prolong life at any cost. The euthanasia
movement has created the myth that there are, being kept alive artificially
on life support systems, many patients who should simply be allowed
to die a natural death. The facts are quite different. Such systems
are not used to keep people artificially alive in this manner. Patients
receiving intensive care on life support systems either have a definite
chance of recovery or conditions that are not yet fully diagnosed or
their prognosis is uncertain. Life support systems have their place
in the care and recovery of many patients.
5.
Do I have the right to refuse medical treatment?
Yes, common law has always held that you have a right not to be treated
without your consent. For a doctor to ignore this, is a form of assault.
You can make an informed decision to accept or refuse medical treatment
if you are competent, but if you are not competent, someone else must
make an informed choice on your behalf.
6.
What about the severely disabled or deformed?
VVho is to judge whether a person's life is "meaningless"
or not? All through history people have judged others lives to be meaningless
on arbitrary grounds including disability, race, gender, and religion.
The answer is not to kill the person but to give them the most meaningful
life possible. Most disabled people do NOT view themselves as objects
of pity.
7.
Why shouldn't I be able to die as and when I choose?
Those who believe that they ought to be able to choose euthanasia are
saying that they ought to be able to involve others in their decision...
.doctors, nurses, perhaps anyone who is able to give the lethal dose
or assist the person to do so themselves.
This means
the "choice" of the person will move into a wider arena -
affecting many others in society, particularly those in the health profession.
For
the good of all people, there are some "choices" we have no
right to exercise.
As
the British House of Lords Select Committee in 1994 said:
"Belief
in the special worth of human life is at the heart of civilised society.
It is the fundamental value on which all others are based and is the
foundation of bath law and medical practice. The intentional taking
of human life is therefore the offence which society condemns most strongly.
"Society's prohibition of intentional killing is the cornerstone
of law and social relationships. It protects each of us impartially,
embodying the belief that oil are equal. We do not wish that protection
to be diminished and we therefore recommend that there should be no
change in the law to permit euthanasia."
Palliative
Care
Palliative Care Is...
The care given to a terminally ill person facing the final stages of
his or her life. This care is provided in the home, hospices and palliative
care units attached to hospitals and is tailored to meet the individual
needs of the patient. It is a service delivered by a team of health
care professionals including doctors, nurses, pastoral workers, physiotherapists,
chaplains and volunteers. Palliative care demonstrates a profound respect
for the emotional, physical, social and spiritual needs of the dying
patient and his/her family and may be relevant over months or even years.
How can
I prepare for a comfortable death for myself and loved ones?
Talk to your loved ones and doctor about these issues. It is better
to know how they feel about it now than later. If you cannot accept
your doctor's approach you should change doctors now. Find out which
hospitals have palliative care units. These are sometimes called hospices
for the dying. Palliative care is for people who have any medical condition
for which there is no current cure and so whose health is expected to
deteriorate progressively. It does not seek to lengthen or shorten their
last days but to make them as rewarding and pain free as possible. The
emphasis is on comfort rather than cure. The patient has a say in all
decisions about treatments.
Palliative
Care is a positive initiative that enriches the person,
those around them and society in general. |
