Is Euthanasia appropriate to end someone's life if they are suffering a great deal of pain? Or is life too precious and therefore no one should have the power to take their own life? This is the main focus of my essay and I will examine the views on both, for and against. Firstly, the term "Euthanasia" come from the ancient Greek word meaning "Good Death", which is used to refer to voluntary rather than compulsory euthanasia. Voluntary euthanasia when an individual asks to be given a lethal injection to end their pain and sufferings, whereas compulsory euthanasia is killing those who are terminally ill - this is regarded as murder in all countries. In the Netherlands, voluntary euthanasia has been legal since 1983, where around three thousand people formally request to die each year. Belgium also recently made it legal. .
A large number of people support euthanasia because they feel that people should be able to request "mercy killing" to end there suffering. Victims of cancer, AIDS or motor neurone disease may know that, in the later stages of there disease, there condition will worsen and may even lead to death. Many believe they should be allowed to die with dignity, with the help of, for example, a lethal injection or an overdose of morphine from a doctor. A recent case that illustrates this is that of Dianne Pretty who suffered from motor neurone disease. She presented a fifty thousand strong petition at Downing Street in support of the right to commit assisted suicide. Sadly Dianne died, aged 43 in May, after losing a lengthy legal battle to allow her husband to help her take her life. This was refused and a High Court challenge to the decision also failed. Her case was taken to the House of Lords but was also refused. .
On the other hand, however much a patient is suffering, it is the role of a doctor to cure the disease and restore their patients to a normal state, not to kill them.