Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS) is a voluntary termination of a patient’s life with lethal medication assisted by a physician. People who are against it call it Assisted Suicide while people who support it call it assisted death. Out of the people I interviewed, they all have the same mixed emotions. They all seem to agree on what Ramos said about PAS, “Yes and no.” She thinks assisted suicide should only be for people in “critical pain” and they “can’t go any longer.” She also thinks there should be background checks saying, “Just because Tom broke up with you, doesn’t mean you have to die.” 

There are multiple benefits of Physician-Assisted Suicide. With PAS, patients have the ability to decide if they want to spend the last few months of their life suffering or not. When interviewed, Rojas said she thinks PAS should be “mostly for people who really need it,” and not for normal people who are not sick. Only if someone is “terribly terribly sick.” Thankfully, not just anyone can apply for Physician-Assisted Suicide. In most places in the United States, to apply for PAS, the patient has to have a terminal illness with six months or less to live. Another benefit is a patient’s organs could be harvested and donated to others in need. 

Although there are benefits from PAS, there are non-benefits to this procedure. For example, if someone has Dementia or Alzheimer’s and a family member has control, it can be difficult for that family member to make a decision. Patients and family members would also have to think of the price. Going through with Physician-Assisted Suicide costs, on average, between 3,000 to 5,000 dollars. De La Cruz feels that “it shouldn’t be that much [money].” She also feels, “if they’re on the verge of death, it should be free.” 

I believe Physician-Assisted Suicide should be an option for patients with not that long to live. I don’t think patients should have to suffer through their last few months in pain if they don’t want to. 

So are you assisted suicide or assisted death?