Euthanasia Should Be Legalized in Nevada

Abstract

Euthanasia Should Be Legalized in Nevada Ellie Ok, MS, OMSII; eok@student.touro.edu Kristine Rosas, OMSII; krosas@student.touro.edu Weldon Havins, MD, JD, LLM, FCLM, Emeritus Professor Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine Current palliative care option for terminally ill patients disregards the autonomy of patients in some cases. These patients may request euthanasia with the intent to make an autonomous decision and gain back some control that they have lost to the disease. As physicians, we should strive to understand the rationale behind the patient’s request of euthanasia to alleviate suffering and provide the most suitable care that preserves the patients’ dignity and autonomy. The purpose of our research is to propose the legalization of euthanasia in Nevada for terminal patients. To examine the legality and morality of euthanasia, we applied the four biomedical ethics principles (autonomy, justice, beneficence, and maleficence) to the use of this practice. The number of cases of euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicides (PAS) in Netherlands and Canada were analyzed. Reports of PAS cases in Canada were obtained from Regional Euthanasia Review Committees and Interim Reports. Individual statutes and numerous studies were reviewed to compare the qualifications and requirements of euthanasia and PAS in different countries. This study found that in countries where both euthanasia and PAS are legal, euthanasia occurs at a higher rate than PAS. In Netherlands, the incidence of euthanasia from 2002 and 2010 to 2018 was 1672, 2910, 5277, 5856, 6303, and 5898 whereas PAS was 184, 182, 208, 216, 250, and 212. In Canada, the occurrence of euthanasia from 2016 to 2018 was 503, 1960, and 2613 compared to four, one, and one PAS cases. Although euthanasia is illegal in the United States, patients showed higher support for euthanasia over PAS, finding euthanasia to be more acceptable (67%) than assisted suicide (33%). We carefully compared and studied the qualifications of euthanasia in other countries to propose our guidelines for Nevada. We acknowledge that there should be strict limitations and documentation of cases to limit its abuse. Further studies are needed to examine the validity of child euthanasia or other vulnerable populations. More 2021 American College of Legal Medicine JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE 2021, VOL. 41, NO. S1, 32–33 https://doi.org/10.1080/01947648.2021.1914484 training and education of medical professionals in palliative care is indicated. This research highlights and challenges the need for change in our current palliative care options to include euthanasia. References upon request 33