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| State-by-State Guide to Physician-Assisted Suicide |
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Pros and Cons by Issue
Issue: Definitions
| Q: | What is euthanasia? |
| Q: | What is physician-assisted suicide/physician aid in dying? |
| Q: | What is voluntary active euthanasia? |
| Q: | What is passive euthanasia? |
| Q: | What is non-voluntary euthanasia? |
| Q: | What is the medical definition of death? |
Issue: Moral Differences in Forms of Assisted Dying
| Q: | Is there a moral difference between passive and active euthanasia? |
| Q: | Is there a moral difference between passive euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? |
| Q: | Is there a moral difference between active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? |
Issue: Religious Concerns
| Q: | Is the debate over euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide primarily religious in nature? |
| Q: | What are Catholic perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? |
| Q: | What are Christian perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? |
| Q: | What are Jewish perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? |
| Q: | What are Muslim perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? |
| Q: | What are Hindu perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? |
| Q: | What are Buddhist perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? |
Issue: Law and Public Policy
| Q: | Is there a legal right to die? |
| Q: | Should the government be involved in patients' end-of-life decision-making? |
| Q: | In the absence of an advance directive, who makes decisions for incapacitated patients? |
Issue: Oregon Death with Dignity Act
Does Oregon have the legal right to administer drugs for the purposes of physician-assisted suicide?
| Q: | What is the Oregon Death with Dignity Act? |
| Q: | What did Gonzales v. Oregon decide? |
Does Oregon have the legal right to administer drugs for the purposes of physician-assisted suicide?| Q: | Does Oregon have the legal right to administer drugs for the purposes of physician-assisted suicide? |
| Q: | Is the Oregon Death with Dignity Act a good law? |
Issue: Dr. Kevorkian
| Q: | Who was Dr. Jack Kevorkian? |
| Q: | Did Dr. Jack Kevorkian ethically serve the best interests of his patients? |
Issue: Terri Schiavo
| Q: | What was the legal controversy at the center of the Terri Schiavo case? |
| Q: | From a moral perspective, should Terri Schiavo's feeding tube have been removed? |
| Q: | From a medical perspective, should Terri Schiavo's feeding tube have been removed? |
| Q: | From a legal perspective, should Terri Schiavo's feeding tube have been removed? |
| Q: | Legal Documents in the Terri Schiavo Case |
Issue: Euthanasia in Practice
| Q: | Why do patients request physician-assisted death (a.k.a. physician-assisted suicide)? |
| Q: | Do euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide ensure a good death? |
| Q: | Should euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide only be allowed for the terminally ill? |
Issue: Physician Involvement in Euthanasia and PAS
| Q: | Would legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide destroy patient trust in the medical profession? |
| Q: | Is a physician ever obligated to help a patient die? |
| Q: | How common is it for physicians to participate in physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, despite the legal prohibition against them? |
| Q: | Do euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide violate the Hippocratic Oath? |
Issue: American Healthcare System
| Q: | Would legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide save money for the American healthcare system? |
| Q: | Are the economic pressures in the American health care system too great to safely legalize euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide? |
| Q: | Should healthcare resources be subject to rationing? |
| Q: | Would legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide save money for insurance companies? |
| Q: | Would financial motivations encourage insurance companies, health care providers, and patients to seek euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide if those options were legally available? |
Issue: Living Wills, Advance Directives, & Power of Attorney
| Q: | What is a living will? |
| Q: | Are living wills a good idea? |
| Q: | What is an advance directive? |
| Q: | What is a health care power of attorney? |
| Q: | Is the health care power of attorney sufficient on its own? |
Issue: Pallative Care
| Q: | What is palliative care? |
| Q: | Would legalizing euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide undermine the quality of palliative care that patients receive? |
| Q: | Would improving palliative care get rid of patient requests for aid-in-dying? |
Issue: "Slippery Slope" Argument
| Q: | Would legalizing voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide create a slippery slope to involuntary euthanasia? |
| Q: | Has legalizing voluntary euthanasia in Belgium and Holland created a slippery slope to involuntary euthanasia? |
Issue: Doctrine of Double Effect
| Q: | What is the doctrine of double effect? |
| Q: | Should the doctrine of double effect be used to guide end-of-life decision-making? |
Issue: Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders
| Q: | What is a Do-Not-Resuscitate order (DNR)? |
| Q: | Do Do-Not-Resuscitate orders endanger patients? |
Issue: Infants & the Groningen Protocol
| Q: | Is euthanasia acceptable for severely ill infants? |
| Q: | What is the Groningen Protocol and why was it drafted? |
Issue: Special Groups
| Q: | Would legalizing physician-assisted suicide endanger people with disabilities? |
| Q: | Would legalizing physician-assisted suicide endanger the elderly? |
| Q: | Would legalizing physician-assisted suicide endanger the poor? |
| Q: | Would legalizing physician-assisted suicide endanger minorities? |
| Q: | Would legalizing physician-assisted suicide endanger women? |