However I find these reasons cannot be backed up by hard evidence, in my opinion euthanasia whether or not it is voluntary should not be legalised. The reasons supporting my opinion are:
- Voluntary euthanasia is unnecessary because there are alternative treatments.
- Requests for voluntary euthanasia are rarely free and voluntary.
- Voluntary euthanasia undermines medical research.
- Voluntary euthanasia will inevitably give too much power to doctors, nurses and people in the position to care.
- Lastly voluntary euthanasia should it be legalised will inevitably lead to involuntary euthanasia.
Possibly the most important question frequently raised by anti euthanasia groups is;
Where does murder stop and euthanasia begin?
Surely the premature ending of a person’s life whether or not they have consented it constitutes murder. I do not understand how pro euthanasia groups can dispute this fact, as it is a fact of life.
Many pro euthanasia groups believe that terminally patients have just two options, either to die a slow and painful death or to receive euthanasia. The truth of the matter is that there is a middle ground, there is the option of alternative treatments. For example there are countless nursing homes that provide creative and compassionate caring that enables terminally ill patients to live out the remainder of their lives in comfort. It has been proved that virtually all-unpleasant illnesses can be substantially relieved by techniques already available. This is especially relevant to Westernised countries such as Great Britain, which has very well developed facilities specifically designed to care for the terminally ill. A law that legalises euthanasia would completely undermine the incentives within society for creative caring.
Voluntary euthanasia is very difficult to define, because requests for such actions are rarely free and voluntary. A patient suffering from a terminal illness is very vulnerable. Commonly under the influence of very powerful medication the patient is more than likely to lack the knowledge and skills to make such important decisions. It is a well-known fact that the terminally ill also suffer from fear and anxiety over the effect their illness is having on their family. On top of this decision-making will probably be affected by confusion and dementia. How then can patients suffering from terminal illnesses make rational decisions regarding their future? People should never be put in a position where they think that the best option for themselves and their families is to receive voluntary euthanasia. When considering the option of euthanasia patients must remember that there is hope, terminally ill patients do not believe that they will ever come to terms with their disabilities, however this is not necessarily the truth. Many patients do indeed adapt to their situation and have a good quality of life, something they would never have anticipated. The fact that the weakest most vulnerable people within our society feel that it would be best for all concerned if they were to receive voluntary euthanasia worries me, and shows an awful lot about the kind of society we live in.
Before any hasty decisions are made and euthanasia is legalised in Great Britain, we must deal with the fine line between voluntary and involuntary euthanasia. It is a fact that within countries such as Holland where euthanasia has already been legalised voluntary euthanasia inevitably leads to involuntary euthanasia. Statistics published by the Dutch Ministry of Justice proves my point, out of 3,000 reported cases of euthanasia 1,000 were found to be involuntary. With evidence like this it seems unlikely that this government would rush into a decision concerning the legalisation of euthanasia because history has shown that once voluntary euthanasia is made legal involuntary euthanasia will inevitably follow.
Finally it is very important to look at the legalisation of euthanasia from the medical point of view. I have already dealt with the medical alternatives but one must also consider the issue of medical research. The constant medical advances in the western world are made possibly by one thing alone, the desire to develop treatments and therefore cure fatal illnesses and life threatening symptoms. In my opinion the legalisation of euthanasia would completely undermine the valuable medical research carried out by the numerous dedicated doctors and researchers. A very common case of this happening is an increase in the number of abortions being performed upon embryos found to be suffering from illnesses such as spina bifida and Down’s syndrome. Over the past decade millions of pounds have been put into the medical research surrounding these conditions. If we allow euthanasia to be legalised we can expect an increase in the science of killing at the expense of research into life threatening illnesses. Research that could eventually find a cure!
The other medical aspect that must be taken into account is the power that the legalisation of euthanasia would give to doctors. It is a fact that the majority of requests for euthanasia come from patients who have been encouraged by the doctor failing to provide adequate symptom control. It is true to say therefore that doctors already have too much power over the mental state of their patients. A patient will listen to their doctor and so if the government allows euthanasia to be legalised then they are theoretically giving doctors another "treatment". Voluntary euthanasia is proven to actually give more power to doctors, power that could be very dangerous. The information that doctors give their patients, information about diagnosis, treatments available and degree of suffering could cause an increase in the number of requests for voluntary euthanasia. The danger here is that doctors do make mistakes. New treatments are always being developed and it is just possible that the doctor may not be up-to-date in treatment control. It is possible that the legalisation of euthanasia would lead to the doctor becoming the most powerful man in the country, a god like figure.
When considering the question "Should voluntary euthanasia be legalised?" it is important to recognise that cases of euthanasia are extremely rare in situations where the physical and emotional needs of the patient are met. In order to address the problem of euthanasia as a society we need to ensure that we provide top quality healthcare with an aim to increase the standard of living terminally ill patients have.
We must also remember that although there are some positive sides to this debate history has shown that the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia poses huge risks to the society we live in today. In my opinion the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia should be firmly resisted. Not only does it undermine medical research, give too much power to doctors but also it also it completely undermines the compassionate care available from alternative treatments.
