What Is Euthanasia?

Euthanasia is also named as mercy killing. It includes painless killing of a person who is suffering from extreme pains, incurable diseases and disorders. The name euthanasia is also referred as assisted suicide. Mercy killing can not be termed as a legal procedure, because it is still illegal and matter of conflict in many parts of world including United States of America.

Usually an injection of lethal drugs is used for providing mercy death in Euthanasia. This issue of mercy killing is one of the hottest issues of debates and discussions in medical community. Through out the world doctors and medical officers believe in the “first law of medicine” that “we will not provide any deadly medicine to any patient in any condition”. This sentence is like an expletive for all associates of the field of medicine.

For Vs Against
Just like abortion, people are ambivalent for Euthanasia also. One side argues that a life should be healthy to live and a painful life doesn’t mean anything. On the other hand, others say that life should be preserved in every situation. Both the arguments are right in terms of ethics and legal definitions. Those who are in favor of Euthanasia believe that any church or religious counsel has no right to decide about life or death of a person. And the opponents believe that only god is the supreme authority to decide that a person should live or not. But in actual world very small quantity of people supports the concept of mercy killing while majority opposes this concept.
First case of mercy killing was reported in late 1990s. Jack Kevorkian, an US doctor was sentenced a prison of 10-25 years for the mercy killing of Thomas Youk. But some countries like Belgium, Netherlands etc allow mercy killing under very special conditions. For example- In case of chronic pains which are associated with some incurable disease.

Euthanasia for Humans Vs animals
Medical personals have much more wider thinking when they talk about Euthanasia for animals. Strict rules and ethical concerns restrict use of Euthanasia for humans, but for animals like dogs and cats Euthanasia is a much more common practice. Even the animals who don’t have certain shelter are subjected to humanely and painless death in many countries. It’s a common observation that dogs and cats suffer from extreme pains at their elder stages of life. So, owners of the pets prefer to provide them mercy death at a particular stage of their life because they can’t see them suffering from pains and illness. When doctors conclude about an animal that it can’t be treated or healed then they also suggest Euthanasia for the animals, so that they can be freed from pains. But for humans this concept comes under great ethical and legal restrictions.

Living Will
Euthanasia is very complex topic to conclude a decision. But some countries which are soft for this issue has provided a special legal provision called as “living will document”. This living will document is a provision for those who don’t want to stay alive, with help of any external living support systems, in special conditions of brain death or severe incurable illness. In these specially mentioned circumstances this document of living will can be drafted from the attorney, which provides right of Euthanasia to the applicant patient.