Euthanasia

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Euthanasia
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Definitions of Euthanasia

• Euthanasia the intentional killing by act or
  omission of a dependent human being for his or
  her alleged benefit.
• Voluntary euthanasia When the person who is
  killed has requested to be killed.
• Non-voluntary When the person who is killed made
  no request and gave no consent.
• Assisted suicide Someone provides an individual
  with the information, guidance, and means to take
  his or her own life with the intention that they
  will be used for this purpose

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What Euthanasia is not

• Euthanasia is the withdrawal of futile treatment,
  or the administration of pain relieving
  treatment.
• This is even when the treatment may bring forward
  the time of death, if that is the only means of
  relieving the pain.

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Laws around the world

• There are few countries around the world in which
  euthanasia is legal.
• There are just 3 countries in Europe where it is
  Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland.

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What is the law in Britain at the moment?

• At present, all forms of euthanasia is illegal in
  this country.
• Suicide is legal but assisted suicide is not.
• This is to dissuade people as this is not morally
  accepted in this country.

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Euthanasia is an ethical issue

• Ethics are the principles or morals in which a
  person uses.
• Euthanasia includes the many rights of a person
  which conflict with one another.
• Therefore, as a result of several conflicting
  issues, euthanasia is an ethical issue.

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Human Rights

• These are the rights which each individual has
  and that are relevant to the case of euthanasia.
• In the European convention on human rights
• Article 2, protection on life
• Article 3, freedom from inhuman treatment
• Article 5, right to liberty and security of
  person
• Article 6, the right to a fair public hearing.

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Religious Views
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Christianity the arguments against Euthanasia

• Life is a gift from God that should not be
  destroyed.
• One of the 10 commandments is thou shall not
  kill.
• God is in everyone and every living thing. If you
  harm a living thing, you harm God.

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• Euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of
  God, since it is the deliberate and morally
  unacceptable killing of a human person."
• Pope John Paul II

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Christianity the argument for Euthanasia

• Christians respect all living things, so if
  someone wants to end their life that wish should
  also be respected.

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Hindu beliefs on Euthanasia

• Anyone who helps someone to die would be damaging
  their own and the other persons karma.
• Euthanasia goes against the belief of Ahimsa.
• Ending the life of someone going through great
  pain is helping them and therefore fulfils a
  Hindus moral obligations.

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Euthanasia- the Buddhist view

• Voluntary euthanasia is wrong, as it shows that
  the persons mind is in a bad state.
• Meditation and pain-killing drugs help a person
  to achieve a state where they are not in mental
  pain.
• Only if you have achieved enlightenment is
  euthanasia approved of.

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Muslim Beliefs

• All life is given by Allah, so it is sacred.
• Only Allah can choose when a life will end.

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• "And no person can ever die except by Allah's
  leave and at an appointed term.
• Qur'an 3.145
• "Do not take life, which Allah made sacred, other
  than in the course of justice."
• Qur'an 17.33

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What do Jews think about euthanasia?

• The preservation of human life is one of the
  supreme moral values.
• Anything which shortens life is forbidden.
• Saving someone from pain is not a reason to kill
  them.
• Active euthanasia is murder.

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• "...The message of Judaism is that one must
  struggle until the last breath of life. Until the
  last moment, one has to live and rejoice and give
  thanks to the Creator ..."
• Dr. Rachamim Melamed-Cohen

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Sikh teachings on euthanasia

• Sikhs have a high respect for life.
• The timing of birth and death should be left in
  Gods hands.

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Church Of Euthanasia

• This is a non-profit educational group. They feel
  there is a huge imbalance between humans and the
  other creatures on earth.
• Aim is to restore this balance by population
  reduction.
• One way is through voluntary euthanasia and
  suicide.
• Four principles - suicide, abortion, cannibalism
  and sodomy.

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Real Life Examples Diane Pretty

• Suffered from motor neurone disease.
• She was incapable of ending her life due to her
  illness.
• She wanted her husband to help her die but could
  have faced 14 years in jail.
• She went to the High Court in England but her
  plea was rejected.
• She went to the European Court of Human Rights in
  Strasbourg. She was rejected here as well as it
  was against human rights.
• She died on the 11th May in 2002 of natural
  causes.

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Loopholes
Animal Euthanasia
Abortion
D.N.R. Life-Support Machines
Unconventional euthanasia
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Animal Euthanasia

• This is non-voluntary, passive euthanasia.
• This is legal in England.
• Owners and vets decide together whether a pet is
  eligible to be put down.
• Animals can be put down if there is nowhere to
  house them.
• A new movement has been set up in the USA to
  carry out animal euthanasia at home.

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D.N.R. Do Not Resuscitate

• An advance directive tells a doctor how a patient
  would like to be treated before surgery if they
  would not be able to decide while they are in
  surgery.
• A D.N.R. is a request from the doctor to the
  patient for them not to be resuscitated during
  surgery.
• This is a form of euthanasia as usually patients
  eligible for this are terminally ill.
• This is legal in England.

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Turning Off Life Support Machines

• Turning off a persons life-support machine can
  often be non-voluntary euthanasia.
• The person may be brain dead or incapable of
  functioning properly if kept alive.
• In this instance the decision is often made by
  doctors and family.
• This practice is legal in Great Britain.
• It can be requested on wills and living wills.
• Are there other purposes to this type of
  non-voluntary euthanasia, though?

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Real Life Examples Laura Sadler

• Laura Sadler lived on a life support machine for
  5 days.
• She was in intensive care during those days. She
  suffered severe head injuries she was classified
  brain-dead.
• Her family made the decision to turn the life
  support machine off on Thursday 19th June.
• She was only 22.

Nurse Sandy Harper in BBCs Holby City
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Abortion

• Abortion is legal in Great Britain.
• It is non-voluntary euthanasia.
• Foetuses which could have a lower quality of life
  if alive may contribute to termination.
• The foetus might be perfectly alright but the
  mother can not either cope with the baby or want
  it!!
• This is euthanasia as it considers quality of
  life if alive but the child does not decide
  itself.

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Unconventional Euthanasia?

• Euthanasia is mercy killing.
• Foetuses in abortion are often killed because
  their parent(s) believe that the babys quality
  of life will be unsatisfactory, but will it?
• Many people who want to commit euthanasia cannot
  due to extreme disability, but many people who
  are not disabled in society put their own lives
  in jeopardy knowing that they could die as a
  result, for instance, taking drugs, or (heavily)
  smoking or drinking.

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What do doctors think of euthanasia?

• In March/April this year, 986 British doctors
  answered a questionnaire on euthanasia.
• 22 of the doctors asked were in favour of
  euthanasia.
• Only 25 said they agreed with assisted suicide.
• 74 of doctors would refuse to perform assisted
  suicide if it were legalised.

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What Do We Think About Euthanasia?

• We carried out a survey of 101 people, connected
  with our school and of all ages, genders and
  religions.
• We ascertained the views of a Sikh, Muslim, Jew,
  Hindu, C of E, Catholics and Mormons.
• The results of the survey are as follows

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Is Euthanasia Suicide?
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Are Those Who Commit It Murderers?
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Should Euthanasia Be Legalised?
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Consequences of Euthanasia

• The majority of bereaved family and friends who
  have lost loved ones through the means of
  euthanasia are able to cope with grief and
  post-traumatic stress reactions better, in
  comparison to those who die due to their illness.
  
• However, an unnatural death is able to cause
  severe grief reaction amongst those close.
• Family members in euthanasia cases have the
  opportunity to say goodbye, whereas this is very
  rare in suicide cases.

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Cases In The Media That You Might Know

• On television
• Dot and Ethel in EastEnders.
• PC Polly Page in The Bill.
• Jan and Terry in Holby City.

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Summing up

• Laws
• Yes under certain circumstances in Netherlands,
  Belgium and Switzerland.
• No in most places including England.
• Religions
• Mostly against because all life is sacred.
• Other forms of euthanasia
• - Life support machines, putting animals down,
  D.N.R.s, refusing medication, abortion.

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Could you?

• If a close friend or family member was suffering
  and wanted to die, could you help them?

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do not fear death so much, but rather the
inadequate life. Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956)
It is better to die on your feet than live on
your knees. - Emiliano Zapata
as it is with a play, so it is with life what
matters is not how long the acting lasts, but
how good it is. Seneca Roman Tragedy Poet
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• The End
• Thanks for listening

By Robert Stead, Heather Hufton, Sarah Morris,
Katie McInnes, Lora Tesseyman and Kate Humphrey