Euthanasia
Parveen Kaur (11)
Phuah Zhi Yi (12)
Yeoh Ee Ping (21)
Najmah Abd. Razak (09)
What is Euthanasia?
• Practice of the painless killing of
someone who is suffering a painful
illness that cannot be cured or
someone who is very old
• Omission of a dependent human being
for his/her alleged benefit
• Simply, it can be known as mercy
killing in laymen’s term
4 types of Euthanasia
 Voluntary and direct: Chosen and carried
out with patient’s request
 Voluntary but indirect: Decision had been
chosen in advance by the patient before any
complications happens. If something goes
wrong, and they become terminally, the
decision on whether to let them live or die
would be up to their advanced agreement
4 types of Euthanasia
 Direct but in voluntary: Done for the
patient without his/her request
 Indirect and involuntary: The hospital
decides whether it is time to remove life
support from the patient because they feel
that the patient has no more or little chance
of surviving
What is the main issue with euthanasia?
There are always two sides to a debate; People who
feel that lives of human-beings cannot be taken
away because it is unethical and immoral will take a
pro-life stand
Pro-life
1. Devalues human life.
2. Can become a means of healthcare costs
containment.
3. Physicians and other medical care people should
not be involved in directly causing death.
4. “Slippery Slope” effect that has occurred where
euthanasia has been first legalised for only the
terminally ill. Now, laws are changed to allow it for
other people or to be done non-voluntarily.
What is the main issue with euthanasia?
There are always two sides to a debate; People
who feel that freedom of choice is being
oppressed will take a pro-choice stand
Pro-choice
1. Provides a way to relieve extreme pain.
2. Provides a way of relief when the person’s quality
of life is low.
3. Frees up medical funds to help other people.
4. Freedom of choice.
Ethical Issues of Euthanasia
• Religious groups find it outrageous for people
to kill themselves just because they find it hard
to live
• Perseverance is key
(God only helps those who help themselves)
• Religious parties believe that life is precious
and is given by God, therefore only God should
determine when it is time for us to die
Why forbid Euthanasia?
Fear of the misuse/abuse of
Euthanasia in future
• Patients are killed although they did
not choose to die
• Fear of people using Euthanasia to
end their lives deliberately without
good reason
Fact: In the UK, killing a person with
any form is considered murder.
PRO-CHOICE
Countries in which assisted
suicide or euthanasia are
legal:
Netherlands (Green), Belgium (Red), Oregon and Washington (Yellow)
Provides a way to relieve extreme pain:
• Argue that a civilized society
should be allowed to die
with dignity and without pain
• Allow others to assist in
euthanasia
PRO-CHOICE
Provides a way of relief when the
person’s quality of life is low
• People who have a low quality of
life should be given the rights to
end their life
• They should not be forced to stay
alive and suffer because it is
inhumane and cruel
• Making people go on to live
suffering, violates a person’s
freedom of rights
Euthanasia and Suicide
HOWEVER
• There is a difference between Euthanasia
and suicide
• Some religions allow the use of Euthanasia
as it helps one relieve the pain of incurable
illnesses (belief that it is no use making a
person live when we already know that no
hope is left)
• Suicide is the deliberate killing of one’s-self
Singapore’s View on Euthanasia (People)
• Many still believe in living to the fullest of life
• Only about 10,000 have signed on to the Advance
Medical Directive Act (AMD) instilled in 1996, to
indicate that they will not want to be subjected to any
special life-support when they are already dying
• Many avoid talking about death (taboo)
• However there is no right or wrong in the issue.
Singapore’s Decision (Governmental)
• To allow or to disallow,
Euthanasia still remains as
question mark in Singapore.
• Debates are still on going about
this controversial issue which
touches on morals and
determines life and death
Singapore, an ageing population
• By 2030, one in five Singaporeans will reach
60 years
• Majority will face terminal illnesses at some
point which even modern technology may
not be able to guarantee cure but only
reduce the symptoms
• With Singaporeans feeling that there is no
right or wrong, many remain as fencesitters: They are not 100% sure that there is
no more value to their life anymore
Acknowledgement
• http://www.worldfaiths.com/GCSE%20Short%20course/euthanasia.J
PG
• http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/pol/pol_01euthimpa
ctfamily.html
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/
• http://www.hsc.usc.edu/~mbernste/ethics.euthanasi
a.html
• http://blogs.straitstimes.com/2008/12/12/the-greateuthanasia-debate
• http://www.euthanasia.com/proscons.html