Essay
Even as a natural part of life, death is terrifying, and the uncertainty of it can make even the most steadfast break down. This fear is compounded by the fact that there can be pain, deterioration of the mind and body, and there is nothing that can be done to stop it completely. This is why I believe that Bill HF2998, should be passed. The bill would make it legal for medical professionals to prescribe a drug that painlessly ends a person’s life to people who want it and fit the criteria. This of course raises a few ethical and legal concerns, which I would like to go over today.
The first of course, is concern for the patient. I would like to emphasize that the only eligible patients for this procedure will be those who are mentally capable, over the age of 18, and have a terminal illness with a prognosis of 6 months or less. This is not a requirement, but an option to those who desire it. To be sure that the patient is absolute in their decision, the patient must be given a variety of other options and have the procedure explained in detail. They will also need to complete a spoken and written request for the medication, signed by a healthcare professional and a witness. The witness must not be related to the patient, and must not be part of their will. Once all of this is completed, the patient will be given the drug, to be taken on their own.
Although the patient is the main focus, the people prescribing the drug are also to be considered. They will be put in the difficult position of assigning someone their death, and to force that role upon someone is both unjust and cruel. To rectify this issue, both the physician and consulting medical provider are able to defer prescription of the drug to someone else. This would allow the patient to receive a balanced opinion, and would make it so their caregivers aren’t put in a difficult position.
The idea that people would want to hasten death, while scary, is not new. According to research done by the National Library of Medicine, roughly 30% of clinically ill patients wanted a hastened death, some of which attempted it using Voluntary Suspension of Eating and Drinking, overdosing, and other methods, all of which have lingering effects, slow decline, and variable time frames for death. The legalization of this medication would alleviate pain, allow people to spend their last moments with loved ones, and reduce the uncertainty of death.