Pain has always been the main reason that the terminally ill even contemplate an early death. With the elimination of virtually all pain and incredible strides in the art of pain management there is no need for legalized euthanasia or assisted suicide. Research shows that 99% of patient's pain can be effectively relieved with the help of medication. Most of this can be done by simple treatments, more than half of which do not include even moderate side effects. In the past, doctors were afraid to give certain types of medication, such as narcotics, to patients. They did not have a clear understanding of pain control and the physical needs of patients. Recently, much more emphasis has been placed upon the education of proper medicinal use. There are now specific portions of hospitals dedicated solely to the relief of pain. We have realized that this is an imperative part of appropriate care, and those who may have needlessly suffered just a few years ago are now getting the kind of treatment they need. The number of patients receiving the correct dosages and type of medication steadily continues to rise. We must focus on removing the problems themselves, rather than the people having these problems. .
Euthanasia and assisted suicide supporters claim that legalizing these methods would offer an alternative to those who want it, but in actuality what it would do is victimize certain groups. "Choice" is an appealing word, but inequity in health care is a harsh reality. For example, African-American cancer patients in nursing homes are severely under treated for pain - some don't even get aspirin and other basic treatments. African-Americans are also 50 % less likely to get heart by-pass surgery and 25% less likely to get pain medication than their counterparts in other races. And 10 different studies in the U.S. have shown that the disparities cannot be explained away by the fact that, as a group, African-American patients tend to be poorer, sicker and have less health insurance than white patients.
