tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44430341384445727842024-02-08T08:01:07.499-08:00The Debate Over EuthanasiaLLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-71422951215837134972008-12-03T19:43:00.000-08:002008-12-03T20:06:57.844-08:0010 Euthanasia Questions Worthy of ReflectionThought we'd try something a little different and really give you the reader a chance to ponder and weight in on some interesting questions pertaining to the topic of euthanasia and assisted suicide.
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line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >1. If euthanasia and assisted suicide were to become legalized in Canada, what role should doctors play? Should they be limited to deciding who’s eligible? Prescribing the fatal dosage? Administering the fatal dose? Or perhaps, some combination of all three?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >2. If euthanasia and assisted suicide were to become legalized in Canada, how would the cost be covered? Would it be covered under provincial health plans or would it be user pay?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >3. Is someone who’s sentenced to death in the US and refuses to appeal actually partaking in assisted suicide? According to the current legislation the appeal is mandatory because to do otherwise would be considered assisted suicide.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >4. If euthanasia and assisted suicide services become readily available, will the poor who can’t afford palliative care be overrepresented in those choosing to be euthanized? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >5. Why is suicide legal and assisted suicide illegal in Canada? Do the two acts not share the same principal of one person wanting to end their life and that that those using assisted suicide are just physically unable to kill themselves without help? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >6. If euthanasia and assisted suicide were to become legalized in Canada, should mental pain and physical pain be considered equal under the law?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >7. If euthanasia and assisted suicide were to become legalized, would people convicted of second-degree murder for performing euthanasia or aiding in suicides be released from prison?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="background: yellow none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >8. If euthanasia and assisted suicide services become readily available, will elderly who otherwise would have fought to survive elect for euthanasia to avoid feeling burdensome? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >9. If euthanasia and assisted suicide were to become legalized in Canada, would you assist someone who was terminally ill? Would you want someone to assist you if you were terminally ill? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >10. Should euthanasia and assisted suicide be legalized in Canada and if so, under what circumstances?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<br />LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-51211036362315211802008-12-03T09:27:00.000-08:002008-12-03T09:31:55.121-08:00Case Study: Tracy & Robert LatimerTracy Latimer was born November 23, 1980 in Saskatchewan, Canada. As a result of oxygen deprivation during birth, she was born with cerebral palsy. Her cerebral palsy was characterized by severe mental and physical disabilities and seizures. She possessed little or no voluntary control of her muscles, was forced to wear diapers, and could not walk, stand, or talk.<br /><br />Throughout her life she had to undergo many serious surgeries including one to lengthen tendons and release muscles, and another where she had metal rods inserted in her back for her scoliosis. Further adding to her troubles was a dislocated hip that she was unable to take painkillers for because of potentially serious complications with her anti-seizure medications. In 1997, The Supreme Court of Canada noted that she was in "undisputed constant pain."<br /><br />On October 24, 1993, Tracy was almost thirteen years only when her father Robert killed her by tubing carbon monoxide poisoning into his truck. Robert claimed his actions were merciful and what he believed to be Tracy’s best interest. Included below is a time line of the relevant events following Tracy’s death.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nov. 1994</span><br />Robert Latimer is convicted of second-degree murder.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">July 1995</span><br />Latimer appeals the decision, but Saskatchewan Court of Appeal upholds verdict by 2-1 vote.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oct. 1995</span><br />It’s revealed that prosecution unlawfully asked jurors during selection about religion, abortion and mercy killing..<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Feb. 1997</span><br />Supreme Court orders a re-trail new due to jury interference.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nov. 1997</span><br />Latimer again found guilty of second-degree murder. Jury recommends parole eligibility after one year.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dec. 1997</span><br />Judge issues Latimer a "constitutional exemption", and he’s sentenced to less than two years (one of which is to be spent in the community).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nov. 1998</span><br />Saskatchewan Court of Appeal fails to acknowledge his constitutional exemption and upholds his mandatory sentence of at least 10 years.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jan. 2001</span><br />Supreme Court agrees to hear Latimer appeal but upholds initial sentence of no parole for at least 10 years.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dec. 2003</span><br />Although jailed for the last 9 years for killing his daughter, Latimer acknowledges that he still feels what he did was right.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dec. 2007</span><br />Despite serving 13 years of his minimum 10 years sentence, Latimer is denied day parole.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Feb. 2008</span><br />Latimer appeals the decision of the National Parole Board and is released on day parole.<br /><br />This was a marquee case in Canadian euthanasia history and demonstrates the intolerance of it in the Criminal Code. The debate rages on whether Robert Latimer was given too harsh a sentence, or whether he was deserving of the punishment. How do you feel about this particular case? Let us know!<br /><br />http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/latimer/LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-78562467853229872142008-12-03T08:36:00.000-08:002008-12-03T08:37:19.336-08:00DNR Orders & Euthanasia<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJared%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJared%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJared%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> 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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">A Canadian element of euthanasia we haven’t really touched on is the issue of do not resuscitate orders (DNR).<span style=""> </span>Some may argue that DNR is not a form of euthanasia and should be classified as something entirely different. However, before we get to that argument a brief explanation of what a DNR order refers to is necessary. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>A DNR order is a legal document that instructs medical practitioners to not attempt any revival techniques on a particular person if their breathing or heart stops. Fortunately, not just anyone can request a DNR order on your behalf. Only two people can do this; the individual who does not want to be revived, and in situations where someone is of diminished capacity, those with their Power of Attorney (almost always family). However, once a DNR order has been granted, a person is able to change their mind and have it withdrawn at anytime.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now that the basics of DNR orders has been clarified, would you consider a physician who doesn’t attempt to save a patient in cardiac arrest as someone practicing assisted suicide or euthanasia? Technically, adhering to DNR orders is legally justifiable, but at the same time it should be considered a form of passive euthanasia. <span style=""> </span>As mentioned in previous posts, in contrast to what is typically considered euthanasia, passive euthanasia does not involve any actions that induce death. Passive euthanasia is actually characterized by but failing to attempt potentially life saving techniques. Considering this definition, it is clear how allowing someone in cardiac arrest to pass into death without attempting to revive them is a form of passive euthanasia. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Considering the different natures of passive and active euthanasia, we believe that perhaps some who do not support “typical” euthanasia may in fact be accepting of DNR orders.<span style=""> </span>Please feel free to weigh in on your thoughts, whether you feel DNR orders are the same as euthanasia or if you see them in an entirely different light. Comments are always welcomed.</p> LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-10215433429334746202008-12-02T14:43:00.000-08:002008-12-02T19:12:26.725-08:00Euthanasia &Assisted Suicide Techniques<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>We’ve covered a lot of topics in this euthanasia/assisted suicide blog, but we’ve barely discussed the methods of aiding these people reach death. A variety of devices and options exist, but is there one which is more appropriate than the others, or is it the final outcome that matters most? Regardless, here is a list of techniques currently being utilized:<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Barbiturates</span>: Are drugs that act on the central nervous system that when taken in a specified way can cause death. Barbiturates can only be acquired with a prescription. Typically patients have to administer the barbiturates to themselves orally. Two types are used more commonly than others and are Seconal and Nembutal.<br /><br />Seconal is considerably the less expensive of the two, costing about $125 for a lethal dose (10 grams). This dosage comes in the form of 100 individual caplets. The caplets are typically cracked open resulting in approximately three tablespoons of lethal powder. which must be cracked and which comes in the form of 100 individual caplets that must be broken apart to produce about three tablespoons of powder. The Seconal powder is than usually mixed with mater or pudding/apple sauce to camouflage the bitter taste.<br /><br />After consuming the Seconal powder, the individual slips into a coma within five minutes and usually dies with thirty minutes. However, it has been said that healthy/in-shape and extremely over-weight patients can take up to forty-eight hours to die.<br /><br />Although Nembutal comes in a more convenient liquid form, a lethal dose costs upwards of $1,000. The benefit of this more expensive drug is that death is guaranteed quicker and more imminent.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">“The Mercitron”</span>: Is a Dr. Jack Kevorkian invention that used to induce voluntary death. As the picture shows ( http://pds.exblog.jp/pds/1/200504/19/65/c0001465_0112172.jpg ), the mercitron consists of a metal frame supporting three canisters which feed into a single IV. This IV is hooked into the person’s blood stream so the contents of the canisters can be administered quickly.<br /><br />The contents of the three containers are saline, barbiturates (to induce sleep), and a lethal mixture of potassium chloride (immediately stops the heart) and muscle relaxants (prevents spasms during death). Once saline administration is started by Kevorkian, it is the patient’s responsibility to tug a string in order to begin the flow of barbiturates. Once the barbiturate flow starts, a timer begins which dictates when the lethal drugs and issued. Ideally, the potassium chloride is not supposed to entry the blood stream until the patient has already been put soundly asleep by the barbiturates. Death usually occurs after only two minutes.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gasses</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Carbon Monoxide</span>: A tight sealing mask covers the patient’s mouth and nose and is feed lethal carbon dioxide through a tube attached to a canister. The gas will not flow until a valve is turned. In situations where patients are not able to do this on their own, the valve will be left in the open position with a clamped clothespin restricting the gas from flowing through the tube. As a result the patient simply has to pull the clothespin off to induce death. The entire process from start to death usually takes approximately 10 minutes and the use of sedatives to induce a sense of calm is encouraged.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Inert Gases (e.g. Helium)</span>: Masks similar to those used to induce death in carbon dioxide poison are used with inert gas poisoning. The benefits of inert gas include easier breathability (odorless, tasteless) and that the death process is reduced to only five minutes. The entire apparatus and inert gas canisters can usually be purchased for slightly more than $20.<br />The major drawback with the use of any poisonous gas as opposed to the previous methods is that if the procedure is interrupted or if the individual changes their mind, brain damage is likely to occur.<br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">“The Debreather”:</span> Has been used at least ten times in the US effectively. Similar to poisoning via carbon dioxide and inert gases, the debreather also consists of a masked hooked to a canister via a rubber tube. In contrast to those procedures, rather than dying from inhalation of poisoning fumes, the person dies from lack of oxygen.<br /><br />Every breath the individual takes seems normal, however, they’re actually breathing in air devoid of oxygen. The canister is actually filled with a variety of chemicals which “cleanses” the air of all oxygen being fed through the tube. The person attached to the debreather can survive for four to ten minutes before they die of anoxia (body’s oxygen starvation). Death is said to be quick and painless.<br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.internationaltaskforce.org/show.htm" target="_blank">http://www.internationaltaskforce.org/show.htm</a></span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2127629/" target="_blank">http://www.slate.com/id/2127629/</a></span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.fansoffieger.com/mercitron.htm" target="_blank">http://www.fansoffieger.com/mercitron.htm</a></span></div>LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-68691278557073818062008-12-01T16:03:00.000-08:002008-12-01T16:04:33.472-08:00Religion & Euthanasia - Wrap-upEuthanasia can be a very sensitive issue for some people and it generates a lot of strong opinions. Religion is another sensitive issue for some people and individuals can have very conflicting views in regards to the religions they choose. This blog has been giving people an opportunity to compare some aspects of religion (refusal of medical procedures) with passive euthanasia and initially we thought that some people may take it the wrong way. However, our faith...no pun intended...in people to make comments in a respectful manner has been reassured. All of the comments were very insightful and even if people were unsure of their stance on the topic, they still commented in a respectful and non-judgemental fashion. <br /><br />As was mentioned in our last entry on religion & euthanasia, we do not feel that this particular debate will come to an end anytime soon. There are just too many variables in place and everyone has a different viewpoint. The Health Care Consent Act, the responsibility of the medical profession to protect human life, the personal right that an individual has to decide what happens to their body, varying religions with differing views on what is considered proper treatment and a host of other issues related to individual and societal morals all come into play when discussing religion and euthanasia. <br /><br />Currently euthanasia, regardless of the method, is considered illegal in Canada and an individual who has a hand in it can be prosecuted. The legal system has already distinguished between passive euthanasia and refusal of medical treatment on religious grounds, basing the difference on intent. So technically....the legal system has already solved this dilemma and can focus their attention on other important issues. However, we still felt that there was a need for some open debate on the topic. After all, why is it considered ok to refusal potentially life-saving medical treatment due to religious beliefs and no ok to say “I have a terminal illness and know that I am going to die, so just kill me now”? Nobody has the right answer to this situation and it’s for a very clear reason...because there is no right answer. Our initial premise for this blog was not to be right or wrong or to take a stance and convince everyone who set their eyes on our blog that we are right and everybody else is crazy. We simply just wanted to provide a forum for people to discuss the issue and once again we thank you for your interest.LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-39703901488107758272008-12-01T09:56:00.000-08:002008-12-01T09:57:22.907-08:00Resources to Implement Alternate Policy - Euthanasia in the LawDue to the shift in attitudes towards euthanasia in Canada, the issue has developed to the point where policies are starting to be considered. Some call this the ‘emerging policy’ phase, in the natural course of a social issue. To this extent, it becomes very important to identify resources and possible allies that can encourage this ‘emerging policy’, because shifting the current entrenched policy will likely require a great deal of time and pressure. <br /><br />Due to the rather controversial and innately moral aspects of the issue and based on the current trends in parliament regarding such issues, it is likely that any changes made to policy (the Canadian Criminal Code) will likely be put to a free vote by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. This pattern of free votes over extremely controversial issues has been the precedent under Stephen Harper (ex. gay marriage) and even under former Prime Minister Jean Chretian (who actually had a free vote over euthanasia). <br /><br />This being said a large public campaign would likely be necessary in order to raise public awareness and get the public to make their opinions known to their representatives in the House of Commons. Potentially potent allies in this would be organizations like the Right to DIe Society of Canada and the Dying with Dignity Society, who have approximately ten thousand members within their ranks. They have previously run such campaigns regarding the right to die and are likely in a good position to launch another one. They likely also can provide appropriate content for such a campaign. <br /><br />Additionally, one would also need the support of a member of parliament to actually introduce an amendment to the Canadian Criminal Code. In our case, Francine Lalonde, a current MP from Quebec and a member of the Bloc Quebecois, has promised to reintroduce legislation to decriminalize euthanasia. She would be an ideal candidate for our efforts to introduce our alternate policy to mainstream Canada. She was previously responsible for Bill C - 407, a bill upon which our alternate policy was based. <br /><br />Mobilizing public opinion would be difficult and the political procedure surrounding the introduction of a bill would be arduous, but with the aid of these two groups of individuals and an MP in parliament it will be made possible.LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-84932782843651934872008-11-30T19:01:00.000-08:002008-11-30T19:03:04.217-08:00Religion & Euthanasia - So how can we solve this dilemma?Ok...we have spent a lot of time in this section of the blog talking about some of the dilemmas that can arise from mixing religion and euthanasia. We have gotten a lot of comments regarding the subject and we want to take this opportunity to thank those who have commented thus far. For the most part, we have focused on how religion can conflict with the medical field regarding the types of treatments that are performed on patients. However, one of the comments that we have received on this topic really caught us off guard and it touched on how religion can actually build upon medical intervention.<br /><br />To make a long story short, the comment was basically saying that religion is often used by individuals as a pillar of strength while receiving medical treatment. The person was saying that religion can help someone to overcome their fear or doubts about receiving medical treatment and that religion can be used to help the patient to have faith in the doctors and their abilities. This provided a very different perspective on the topic and it sort of seemed like this person was thinking outside of the box. So on one hand, it can seem like religion is in total conflict with the medical field, but on the other hand religion can act as an ally to the medical field. It’s just very interesting to see how people can take the same topic (religion & euthanasia) and come to the table with very different perspectives. This is why we have encouraged everyone to bring their comments to the table which is this blog. We enjoy seeing all of the different perspectives on the topic. <br /><br />Anyways, the initial purpose of this blog entry was not talk about all of the comments that we have received (which we would if we could), but we wanted to take a moment to perhaps discuss a solution to this dilemma regarding religion and medical treatment. How can we solve the problem (if you view it that way) of people refusing potentially life-saving medical procedures because of their religious beliefs? We spent a lot of time brainstorming ideas on how we could solve this dilemma and after hours of deliberation this is what we came up with...........nothing! We aren’t really sure that you can do anything that isn’t currently being done to deal with the situation. The way it currently works is that if a patient does not want to receive a medical procedure, then the doctors must respect their wishes and leave the patient without treatment...even if it results in death. Trying to force a patient to receive any medical treatment would involve changing the basic right that a person has to decide what happens to their body. If someone was bold enough to try and legally abolish this right (for the sake of solving the religion/medical treatment dilemma) that every person has, it would have to involve them making a change to a document that all Canadians cling to dearly...The Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Anytime you talk about changing The Charter it can be a very sensitive subject for some and most people would never agree to make any sort of change to the document. <br /><br />So how can we solve this dilemma? Is there any sort of solution to the issue? Would it be unethical to force someone to undergo a procedure on their body, even if it could save their life? Maybe we missed something and we are calling out to everyone reading to lend us their ideas on how we can approach this situation?LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-68720950206855048052008-11-29T16:19:00.001-08:002008-11-29T16:20:12.046-08:00Religion & Euthanasia - Cases (Continued)Ok...so for those who didn’t read our last blog on Religion & Euthanasia here is a quick recap of the case before we move on:<br /><br />A 14 year old boy from Seattle who was diagnosed with leukemia in early November 2007 died at the end of that month after refusing a blood transfusion (citing religious beliefs-Jehovah’s Witness). The state took legal action and attempted to force the boy to have a blood transfusion, but the Supreme Court denied the motion and the boy died shortly thereafter. The judge felt that the boy was mature enough to make decisions regarding the type of medical treatment that he received and also felt that he was not being coerced by anyone in any sort of fashion. The judge also said that the boy knew he was basically giving himself a death sentence by refusing the blood transfusion. <br /><br />Alright, so now that everyone is caught up...here is the new twist:<br />At the time the boy was residing with his Aunt in Seattle. His aunt had custody of him and she was also a Jehovah’s Witness. His birth parents however, were not Jehovah’s Witnesses and they wanted him to have the blood transfusion. They felt that his decision to refuse the blood transfusion was a result of his aunt influencing him and they even went to the hearing in an attempt to change the judge’s decision. Did the parents have a valid point? Should they of had a say in the medical treatment for their son?<br /><br />What this case shows is how difficult these cases can get when you are talking about ‘children’ making decision regarding their medical treatment. Not all kids follow the same religion of their parents and it makes these cases so tough when there are differences in religious views. Depending on the location, you are usually considered an adult between 16 & 18 and your parents are basically in control of you until then....from a legal standpoint. So how come at 14 you can make major decisions regarding medical treatment? You would think that this type of privilege (or right depending on your viewpoint) would come when you are granted the rest of your major privileges like drinking, licence, etc. Now we’re not saying that the judge was right or wrong in this case, we just feel that the ruling may be a little incongruent with the other laws or rights that are given to kids once they pass a certain age. The issue of his parents being against the ruling is another issue. <br /><br />First and foremost, they do not have custody of the boy so in the legal world their opinions would count for less when compared to the opinion of the aunt. However, they are still his birth parents and they probably cared for his well-being. Personally, I do not know how I would feel in this type of case. I’d probably be really upset that my child was allowed to make this type of life altering decision without my consent. For a parent that must be hard to have to sit by and watch as your child basically gives themself a death sentence. Thoughts??LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-85627090859278905762008-11-28T10:10:00.000-08:002008-11-28T10:11:29.694-08:00Development of an Alternate Policy - Euthanasia in the LawBased on concerns raised in our last blog entry regarding the alternate policies that have recently been developed surrounding euthanasia in Canada, we have developed our own set of recommendations. Using Bill C - 407 as a template we have created our own Bill regarding euthanasia in Canada. <div><br />Changes we did and did not make:<br /><br />-Initially some of our group members wanted to ensure that all treatment options must have been tried in order to receive euthanasia. However, we did not include this option because it violated our freedom to consent to medical procedures and if it was enacted, the new policy would likely have been struck down as unconstitutional (Refer to previous post “Religion and Euthanasia - Intro” and "Religion and Euthanasia - Legislation")<br /><br />-We have limited the practice of euthanasia solely to medical practitioners in order to prevent potential abuses of the system. The practice and execution (no pun intended) of euthanasia is highly complicated and many different issues are at stake. By making physicians the sole profession that can perform assisted suicide, we have helped to ensure that careful and educated consideration will be given to all issues at stake. This is an assumption on our part, but we believe it is a reasonable one. <br /><br />- In our formulation of our new euthanasia policy we have also stipulated that the supervising medical practitioner must have been familiar with the case for at least 3 months. This helps to ensure that the medical practitioner is making informed and well balanced choices when he or she agrees to euthanize a patient. It also allows them a greater opportunity to perform their “due diligence” when assessing the patients request for assisted suicide. This familiarity with the patient hopefully means that they will be more aware of any external issues or pressures that may be influencing the patients decision. </div><div><br />It should also be noted that this particular guideline also limits “death tourism” to a large extent. It will make it very difficult for individuals outside the country to come to Canada to be euthanized. We would argue that Canadians are not interested in a “death tourism” industry and that this provision is in our best interests. <br /><br />- The word lucid has also been more heavily defined in this amendment to the Canadian Criminal Code. Now someone's “lucidness” has to be determined by a registered psychologist or psychiatrist and their assessment must conform to the definition provided in the bill. The wording in the bill effectively allows the mental health professional involved the power to block approval for assisted suicide. This was determined to be a necessary concession to the possible psychological issues at stake in such an emotionally charged decision. (Refer to previous post on “Euthanasia and Depression”) </div><div><br />It is important to understand that this restricts eligibility for euthanasia to some extent for those who are suffering from mental anguish. However, due to the issues mentioned above this was a necessary sacrifice. This more conservative approach also makes it more likely that people will be more accepting of a bill surrounding euthanasia. (See previous post Assisted Suicide Eligibility Criteria - Some Thoughts)<br /><br /><br />- We have also stipulated that a hospital review board determine whether or not the assisted suicide conforms to the appropriate legal standards outlined by this amendment and we have given them the role of determining the most humane form of death for the patient. This allows the doctor who receives the euthanasia request some security and comfort, in that they know their actions have been verified by several other professionals who would support them should legal issues be raised during these proceedings. </div><div><br />Although Canada is currently run out of a conservative government that does not mean we have to always think 'conservatively'. Canada is unique, and each individual in this country is unique as well; All with their own values, beliefs, and destinies. </div>LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-84140913371018720082008-11-19T18:29:00.000-08:002008-11-19T18:31:34.465-08:00Religion & Euthanasia - History of Important Cases (Part 2)All of the cases that we have talked about to this point have involved adults making decision regarding the type of medical treatment that they receive but we would like to look at the topic from a different perspective. <br /><br />What about children deciding the type of medical treatment that they receive? Part of the ‘Health Care Consent Act’ states that in order to decide on consent, a person must be ‘competent’ and know all of the risks going into the decision. This stipulation is not an issue when it comes to adults who are considered competent, but what about children. When are kids considered ‘able’ to decide on a major life decision such as the refusal of medical treatment? Generally, we are told that we reach adult between the ages of 16-21 and a lot of rights and privileges are given to us at this point. We can emancipate from our parents, drive a car, get into most clubs, drink legally, smoke, get married and even join the army. But when do we get to the point when we can refuse medical procedures without our parents consent.<br /><br />Here is a case to consider (2007):<br />A 14 year old boy from Seattle was diagnosed with leukemia in early November of 2007. He began chemotherapy at a children’s hospital in the area but had to stop the treatments because his blood count was too low. The doctors wanted to give him a blood transfusion but the boy refused citing religious beliefs (Jehovah’s Witness). The case was taken to trial and the state tried to force the boy to take a blood transfusion. The case was heard at the Skagit County Superior Court and a judge ruled that the boy was within his rights to refuse the blood transfusion. The judge felt that the boy was mature, not being coerced and that he knew all of the risks involved with his decision. The judge also stated that the boy knew “he was basically giving himself a death sentence”. The boy died a few hours after the ruling from the court. Doctors stated that the boy would’ve had a 70% chance of surviving the next five years with the blood transfusion and other medical interventions and this also weighed into the court’s ruling.<br /><br />Do you think this child was within his rights to make such a decision? Do you think he was too young to understand the consequences? What if this was your child making this decision.<br /><br />Other aspects of this case will be looked at in our next entry...<br />-Information regarding the case taken from cbsnews.comLLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-47535525175348941652008-11-19T16:53:00.000-08:002008-11-19T16:55:30.956-08:00The World is Changing....All over the world, hundreds and thousands of people are in coma’s, on life support, or suffering in pain in hospital beds. Recently, as in the last 10 years or so, there have been many stories published in international newspapers, about terminal ill people and the choices they make along with their family and religious advisors, on how their life should end.<br /><br />It is interesting that these stories are travelling so fast, and from around the world. Most North American papers are publishing stories that have taken place in Europe or Australia, about an individual’s fight to die. Most recently, on November 13, 2008 in The Toronto Star, we see such a story.<br /><br />This story was titled ‘Woman in Vegetative State Allowed to Die’ and is the story of a comatose woman in Rome, and her family’s struggle to give her what she wanted, a peaceful death…16 years ago.<br /><br />“Courts, politicians and the Vatican have weighed in on the fate of Eluana Englaro, who fell into a vegetative state following a car accident in 1992, when she was 20. The Court of Cassation said it had rejected an appeal by prosecutors against a lower court ruling in July in favour of Beppino Englaro. The father had said his daughter visited a friend in a coma shortly before her accident and expressed the will to refuse treatment in the same situation.”<br /><br />Italy does not allow a living will, and although a patient can refuse treatment, it has to be voiced directly from the patient. In this case, Eluana’s father was pleading to be her voice, and he tried very hard. Beppino Englaro had fought a decade-long court battle to disconnect his daughter's feeding tube.<br /><br />Catholic and anti-euthanasia groups had protested the ruling. Conservative politicians reacted angrily to the ruling as well, saying that the courts had overstepped their bounds. Some had even voiced their opinions in comparing it to a death sentence.<br /><br />This article was also compared to a separate American case as well. Throughout our entire blog we have presented many cases that touch on people’s will to choose their own destiny. We also see how the legal systems in each country/state, do not grant this freedom and there have been countless trials and appeals. The amount of money, time, pain and stress that go into making personal choices has been outstanding. <br />There are so many levels, sides and perspectives in discussing euthanasia. There are several situations where one would see it as appropriate or inappropriate. It’s hard to generalize the issue of euthanasia, and so it is important to see it as a personal choice, in a personal circumstance.LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-89281137181961148002008-11-19T16:51:00.000-08:002008-11-19T16:53:26.242-08:00Washington & Oregon Laws...As proud Canadians, let us look over to the United States. In 1994, voters in Oregon legalized euthanasia under limited conditions. Under the Death With Dignity law, a person who sought physician-assisted suicide would have to meet certain criteria: <br />• The person must be terminally ill. <br />• The person must have six months or less to live. <br />• The person must make two oral requests for assistance in dying. <br />• The person must make one written request for assistance in dying. <br />• The person must convince two physicians that he or she is sincere and not acting on a whim, and that the decision is voluntary. <br />• The person must not have been influenced by depression. <br />• The person must be informed of "the feasible alternatives," including, but not limited to, comfort care, hospice care, and pain control. <br />• The person must wait for 15 days. <br /><br />Under the proposed law, a person who met all requirements could receive a prescription of a barbiturate that would be sufficient to cause death. Physicians would be prohibited from inducing death by injection or carbon monoxide. (http://law.jrank.org/pages/6602/Euthanasia-Oregon-s-Euthanasia-Law.html)<br /><br />Oregon was one of the first in the world to promote death with dignity, and one of the first jurisdictions in the world to permit some terminally ill patients to determine the time of their own death. In 1997, there was a ballot referred by the state legislator that sought to repeal the Death with Dignity act, but it was rejected by 60% of voters.<br /><br />Initiative 1000 (I-1000) was an adopted ballot measure dealing with aid in dying that was passed in the US state of Washington in the November 4, 2008 general election. The effort was started by former Governor Booth Gardner.<br />The measure was approved in the November 4, 2008 general election. 57.84% votes were cast in favor, 42.16% votes were against. (Washington Secretary of State – statistics website)<br /><br />"This measure would permit terminally ill, competent, adult Washington residents medically predicted to die within six months to request and self-administer lethal medication prescribed by a physician. The measure requires two oral and one written request, two physicians to diagnose the patient and determine the patient is competent, a waiting period, and physician verification of an informed patient decision. Physicians, patients and others acting in good faith compliance would have criminal and civil immunity."<br />Provisions in the law include:<br />• The patient must be an adult (18 or over) resident of the state of Washington <br />• The patient must be mentally competent, verified by two physicians (or referred to a mental health evaluation) <br />• The patient must be terminally ill with less than 6 months to live, verified by two physicians. <br />• The patient must make voluntary requests, without coercion, verified by two physicians <br />• The patient must be informed of all other options including palliative and hospice care <br />• There is a 15 day waiting period between the first oral request and a written request <br />• There is a 48 hour waiting period between the written request and the writing of the prescription <br />• The written request must be signed by two independent witnesses, at least one of whom is not related to the patient or employed by the health care facility <br />• The patient is encouraged to discuss with family (not required because of confidentiality laws) <br />• The patient may change their mind at any time and rescind the request <br />("Initiative Measure 1000 "The Washington Death with Dignity Act"". Secretary of State of Washington (2008-01-24).)<br /><br />This past November, this law went into affect. The people that were against it included the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide and other ‘Pro-Life’ groups. However, there were many groups that encouraged the law, most of which stemmed from different long-term illness support groups, as well as the Washington Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. We’re so curious to see, which country or state will be next…LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-4491105719614571772008-11-16T22:37:00.001-08:002008-11-16T22:50:23.872-08:00Euthanasia & Depression<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJared%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJared%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJared%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> 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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal">We’ve noticed lately that the blog has taken on somewhat of a pro-euthanasia vibe and in an attempt to give equal play to both sides of the debate. We feel it is important to discuss one of the major arguments against its legalization. As the title foreshadows, this argument centers around the mental health of those who seek assisted suicide and euthanasia. </p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal">If someone who is terminally ill, or is paralyzed from the neck down in an accident requests for someone to help them die, it is automatically attributed to their illness or disability. When a healthy, non-disabled person attempts suicide, it is seen as a cry for help, a sign that they require psychological assistance. Is it possible that the ill and disabled who wish to die are also crying out for help in the same manner and that society is too preoccupied with what they already “know” to get them the help they need?</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal">We don’t need to tell you that once a person is euthanized there is no going back, the process cannot be undone and life cannot be restored. This is relevant because recent research argues that many who seek euthanasia suffer from mental illness and might chose to reverse their decisions if they were to receive proper psychological treatment. <span style=""> </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal">Under the Death with Dignity Act in Oregon, only those with terminal illnesses can apply for aid. The policy also specifically states that candidates can’t be suffering from any impairment. Although it is not specifically expressed in the policy, I would tend to believe that suffering from a mental illness such as depression would cloud one’s judgment and leave them impaired. This stance would explain why In Oregon, doctors are required to refer patients applying for “death with dignity” to a psychiatrist if they appear to have a mental illness. </p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal">The above argument may seem to counteract the argument that euthanasia is killing those with depression considering the listed safeguards. However, a study conducted by researchers at Oregon University found that as many as 25% of those successfully taking advantage of Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act meet the standards for clinical depression and are never referred to a psychiatrist. Although doctors are intelligent people they lack the specific training to recognize the signs of depression or other mental illness in just a single appointment.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal">A similar study conducted in Oregon found that 28 out of the 58 person sample who ended their lives under the Death with Dignity Act met the criteria for a mental illness (15 depression, 13 anxiety). Of these 28, none were referred to a psychiatrist by their doctor before they were supplied with the necessary materials to kill themselves. </p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal">A Canadian study found results supporting the argument that many euthanasia seekers are suffering from depression. <span style=""> </span>Two hundred terminally ill patients were interviewed and 59% of those wishing to die were depressed, compared to only 8% of those not interested in hastening their death.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal">All of this is interest but it raises a very important question, if treated for mental illness, would their spirits and hopefulness improve to the point where they would no longer desire death? Well the same Canadian study reported that that when re-interviewed two weeks later after receiving psychology treatment, 4 out of every 6 patients who had previously wanted to die, had changed their minds.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal">A second major point of contention in this topic, is whether or not depression truly impairs mental competence. Some people may argue that it does not cause psychosis or severe disruption of brain functioning. However, it has been shown to clearly impact mood in a negative manner and has been linked to low self-esteem, feelings of self-blame and worthlessness,<span style=""> </span>and feelings of hopelessness which is the primary trigger for suicides.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Lastly, I will point out one common sense argument that make every argument I’ve just made seem kind of silly. Then there are the realists who point out that depression is to be expected from this population, these people are dying after all. When viewed from a common sense perspective, it only seems rational that most <b style="">terminally ill</b> people who apply for euthanasia services would meet the criteria for a diagnosis of depression. As one author puts it, “you’re dying and you’re in pain, but you’re too depressed for assistance”. Seems kind of silly doesn’t it?</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal">There is no right and wrong when it comes to this topic, but both sides can present formidable arguments as seen above. 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line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=122342291083984500">http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=122342291083984500</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nrlc.org/euthanasia/asisuid1.html">http://www.nrlc.org/euthanasia/asisuid1.html</a>
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">http://www.hospicecare.com/Ethics/RWethics1.htm</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-47271420644741350022008-11-16T19:50:00.000-08:002008-11-16T19:52:38.577-08:00Suggestions For Alternate Policies - Euthanasia in the Law<div><br /></div>The need for an alternate policy regarding euthanasia in Canada is clear. Euthanasia whether we care to acknowledge it or not, still occurs. For many physicians this represents a fundamental dilemma they face in practice and due to the nature of the law they are essentially cut off from any sort of outside debate or expertise. They can even be isolated from the family of their patient in this decision, due to the legal liabilities that accompany euthanasia. This debate needs to be brought out into the open. We need to know about and acknowledge cases of euthanasia, not just the active instances, but also cases of passive euthanasia. Only by decriminalizing it and establishing clear limits for what constitutes abuse of euthanasia can we bring this issue out in the open and have an honest debate around its merits and deficiencies. The current legal system does not allow for this and thus we as Canadians must propose alternate policies to ameliorate this situation.<br /><br />In a previous blog, we began to discuss Bill C - 407, which was introduced by the Bloc, a potential ally for policy change. Bill C - 407 was the most recent of a string of attempts to amend the Canadian Criminal Code to decriminalize assisted suicide, as long as it was documented and the correct procedures were followed. However, as noted in the entry, there were several problems with the bill. The chief one was that the language of the bill was vague, and the procedures were ill considered. This being said, if these problems were addressed in the bill, the revamped version may serve as a good alternate policy.<br /><br />These are the issues that need to be addressed in the bill (some of which were covered in the last entry on Bill C - 407):<br /><br />Who qualifies for euthanasia? This issue has been raised in several posts so far, and is addressed in Bill C - 407 to some extent, however, the eligibility was rather broad. Anyone who had refused appropriate medical treatment to alleviate their suffering was eligible for assisted suicide. This particular position is rather controversial for many Canadians. Many Canadians find this to be rather repugnant and do not condone the killing of individuals who have refused such treatment. This particular point builds on a previous post regarding different countries policies for eligibility for euthanasia and the varying levels of support for those policies. To realistically pass a euthanasia bill in Canada we must consider the varying opinions on eligibility and try to come to some sort of consensus. I believe that the more restrictive policy would be more acceptable to the majority of Canadians.<br /><br />The issue of consent has not been extensively covered in the bill either. How do we define who is eligible to give consent? The bill stipulates that anyone “lucid” should be able to give consent. However, there were no significant procedures in place to define how we might determine who is “lucid” and who is not. In the legislation enacted in the Netherlands this issue was covered more extensively. As part of the request process an individual is required to undergo extensive psychiatric assessment to determine their level of suffering along with their psychological state. Obviously should any issues arise that may compromise the ability to give consent, the process is put on hold and the relevant issues are examined.<br /><br />Additionally, according to Bill C - 407, someone could request and obtain euthanasia within approximately two weeks (theoretically, how this would have played out in practice is up for debate). This issue raised much concern from many interests groups in Canada, because the timeline seemed rather rushed. In the Netherlands, the relationship between the consulting physician and the patient requesting suicide has to be rather substantial and reasonably long term. The supervising physician must be extremely familiar with the case, and have had extensive contact with the patient, so that they are completely aware of the situation the patient faces and can make an informed judgement.<br /><br />Bill C - 407 also stipulates that anyone so long as they are supervised by a “medical professional” can help an individual euthanize themselves. Additionally, they leave the definition of medical professional to the provinces to decide. For many advocates of the anti-euthanasia movement this leaves the impression that euthanasia is an unregulated medical practice because literally anyone can do it. While this may not be an accurate impression, it should be addressed in order for the policy to appear workable to the public.<br /><br /><br />Ironically, the bill also did not mention anything about the methods with which euthanasia should take place. What is the acceptable method with which we can kill someone (a rather controversial question)? Is suffocating someone to death an acceptable way to commit euthanasia? As far fetched as this sounds, many people believe that we should define every aspect of euthanasia, to protect others from its misuse and abuse. After all the word euthanasia (as I am sure we have mentioned) means “good death” and for many people an essential part of a good death is the method by which you were killed.<br /><br />This is an extremely complex issue and these are just a few of the issues that we need to address in an alternate policy for euthanasia. There are several more issues that will be considered in future posts and we encourage readers should they think of any more to comment and tell us. If you were voting for a bill allowing assisted suicide, how would you want it to be conducted? Who would you allow to be euthanized? What possible issues could arise that might be reasonably prevented or at least addressed in this bill?LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-9981314980973500022008-11-16T13:18:00.000-08:002008-11-16T13:20:18.696-08:00Religion & Euthanasia - JudaismIn our past entries we have look at religions such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christian Science and there stances on certain medical procedures, but we would like to switch gears for a bit. More specifically we’d like to take a look at the Jewish perspective on the subject. <br /><br />Before we do though, something just occurred to us. Now when we talked about Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christian Science we focused on the refusal of medical procedures due to religious beliefs. According to the official euthanasia website, the differentiation between this type of behaviour and passive euthanasia is the ‘intent to kill’. But what if the patient does not know that they are basically killing themself. For example (I will use the refusal of blood transfusions as my example), what if a patient refuses a blood transfusion for a major surgery and the doctor knows that the person will die if they do so? What if the doctor tells the patient that they are basically committing suicide by refusing the blood transfusion for the major surgery? When does it start to count as euthanasia? Actually, can you imagine what type of dilemma this would cause for a doctor, in a patient role, who was also a Jehovah’s Witness? They would have to choose between their religious background and their medical background. On the one hand, they would have their faith that they believe in and moral rules that they have been living by for an extended period of time. On the other hand, they would have all of their medical knowledge that would be based on statistical fact. That is a moral dilemma that I would not want and one that I am glad I don’t have to deal with. But I digress. <br /><br />Anyways, to get back on track, let’s talk a little bit about euthanasia and the Jewish perspective. Jewish Law has very strict rules regarding euthanasia. In Judaism, murder is one of the 3 cardinal sins and it can take 2 forms. The first type is to the detriment of the victim and the second type is to the benefit of the victim (the exact purpose of euthanasia). So even if euthanasia is done to help the patient, it is still considered murder according to Jewish Law. <br /><br />The Jewish believe that all life was given by God and only he has the right to remove it. To draw on a quote from Jewish teachings, “He who closes the eyes of a dying person while the soul is departing is a murderer”. That’s a pretty clear cut statement. If I assist in someone’s death, regardless of reason, I am considered a murderer. Pretty straight forward...well almost.<br /><br />Certain activities are still allowed under Jewish law, but it depends on how it is done. For example, if an individual wants to refrain from putting in a feeding tube, that is allowed to a certain degree. However, once that tube is already in the patient, it cannot be removed for the purpose of killing the client. Guess it all comes down to semantics and interpretation. <br /><br />All religions have their views in terms of what is right and what is wrong. It is just up to each individual to determine what practices they will follow and what practices they will not. It is definitely clear though that the institution of religion can complicate medical practice. More cases regarding refusal of medical procedures to come in the next blog on religion.LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-25485642699823825792008-11-10T17:56:00.000-08:002008-11-10T17:57:35.404-08:00Re-cap on our blog...Here’s a re-cap for those of you just tuning in…<br /><br />This is a blog we have created to discuss the different legal, health, religious, and ethical issues related to euthanasia. Although euthanasia continues to be illegal in most countries, it is constantly up for debate. <br /><br />We began by explaining how the legal standing came to be. We discussed the different cases that were used as examples for future judgements. Along with those cases we explored more personal impacts that those individuals had on society and the euthanasia campaign. We mention the different choices that were made and how they were received by the public, if they were socially accepted or not.<br /><br />Our discussion on abortion was very interesting. We received many comments expressing concerns on the comparison of abortion and euthanasia. Although we have cleared up the fact that we were comparing them based on the idea of ‘choice’, we were pleased that you showed interest and shared your thoughts. When is comes down to it, how do you determine what should be a law? And why is there no consistency with the idea of ‘choice’?<br /><br />We have offered you facts and the history of euthanasia throughout the world, and hope that helped to give you an idea of the different progressions that took place. We also examined the different religious perspectives, and how each religion may differ or resemble another’s belief when it comes to euthanasia and assisted suicide. <br /><br />We have brought you political statistics, and many case studies and personal stories that will help you understand different perspectives and in some cases, different motives. Recently we discussed Bill C – 407, which is the most recent Bill in Canada. We hope that you have read those entries and become familiar with the present Canadian policies. <br /><br />Also, we will be posting more on the health care side of euthanasia and delve deeper into the moral and ethical predicaments. Please continue to comment on any and all entries that have sparked an interest, and we are always open to your feedback :)LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-27454322617331461212008-11-10T15:36:00.000-08:002008-11-16T22:52:54.924-08:00Assisted Suicide Eligibility Criteria - Some Thoughts<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJared%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:relyonvml/> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJared%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" 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.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" >As mentioned in some of the previous posts, assisted suicide has no legal status in Canada. Of the many bills which have proposed the decriminalization of assisted suicide, none have been voted into legislation by the House of Commons. For the sake of debate, if Canada were to change their stance on assisted suicide, who would you feel ought to be eligible for the service and what established foreign policy would you hope to emulate? The answer may seem straightforward to many, but examination of the different criteria for assisted suicide in Oregon, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland reveal the issue to be fairly complex. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" >If I asked you to imagine the typical person who requests assistance in committing suicide, the majority you would most likely picture someone with a terminal illness. Perhaps, you’d envision someone with AIDS, cancer or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. This view is consistent with the assisted suicide legislation in Oregon, where <b style=""><u>only</u></b> terminally ill patients (less than 6 months to live as diagnosed by two physicians) are eligible.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" >Although most readers think of the terminally ill first when considering those eligible for assisted suicide, perhaps a few pictured non-terminal cases of severe suffering such as Lupus, chronic pain disease, or a variety of neurological conditions (i.e. reflex sympathy dystrophy). Unlike in Oregon, where such people wouldn’t meet the criteria, in the Netherlands and Belgium, a person requesting assisted suicide does not have to have a terminal illness, they only have to be experiencing “lasting and unbearable” suffering which is “constant” and “cannot be alleviated”. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" >Essentially for a patient to receive suicide aid, they must undergo an exam from a physician who determines whether they meet the aforementioned criteria. Prior to receiving their fatal request, a second physician must agree with the original physician’s opinion. However, the issue of what constitutes unbearable suffering is still very much a grey area in the legislation and appears to be up to each individual physician’s discretion.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" >People meeting the criteria for unbearable suffering can include the terminally ill, but can also include those who could potentially live for many years with their non-fatal illnesses. However, these people seek the comfort and release of death as opposed to living for a prolonged amount of time with the suffering they see as unbearable. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" >I think it is safe to assume that when asked to consider who is an acceptable candidate for assisted suicide that no one considered the mentally ill, such as someone with depression. Well, under the extremely liberal policy of the Swiss Government, those with mental illnesses may soon be eligible for suicide aid. This is an idea I’ll get back to a little later, but first I’d like to take a more in-depth look at their current legislation. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" >Unlike the policies mentioned previously, Swiss law does not require a physician to be involved in the process at any time. Since assisted suicide is expressly forbidding in all Swiss hospitals, many facilities exist within the country for the sole purpose of providing assisted suicide. These facilities do no employ physicians because those seeking help in taking their own life do not require a physician’s approval prior to receiving their wish. Therefore, the person merely has to arrive at said facility and demonstrate that there is a legitimate reason in which they wish to die. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" >Once again, what constitutes a legitimate reason to end one’s own life is a grey area. However, under Swiss law, as long as the person assisting with the suicide can prove that their actions were not motivated by selfishness but were instead altruistic, than they are free of punishment under the penal code.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" >As a result of this policy, people are eligible to receive suicide aid as long as the <b style=""><u>person</u></b> (can be anyone really) who assists them does so in what they believe to be their best interests. Therefore, nearly anyone who feels as if they would like to die is eligible for this service under Swiss law, this includes the terminally ill, those with painful non-terminal illnesses, and those with physical disabilities. As you can see, this policy appears to allows for the mentally ill to seek aid from such facilities if they wish to escape from the psychological turmoil they associate with their illness. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" >The first such instance occurred in 2005, when a manic depressive Dutch man who was unable to meet the criteria for assisted suicide in his homeland, travelled to Switzerland to end his life at one of these facilities. The man had a long history of depression which culminated in several suicide attempts. This man was simply tired of the strain and unhappiness in which he lived his life. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" >Fear of legal repercussions (psychological suffering being reason for this service was unheard of) prevented said facilities from helping the man. Eventually the highest court in Switzerland would rule that no distinction should exist between psychological and physical suffering and thus the man possessed equal rights under the law to receive assistance in ending his life. This case set a controversial precedent regarding mental illness and assisted suicide. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Although all the policies share the same goals (autonomy & alleviation of suffering), I suspect differences would exist in the level of support each would receive if enacted in Canada. Feel free to leave some feedback and voice which policy you would be most accommodating to and why. Love to hear from you!</span></span></p>http://www.hospicecare.com/Ethics/RWethics1.htm
<br />http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=122342291083984500
<br />http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/557817
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<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-15723100903364095612008-11-09T20:16:00.000-08:002008-11-09T20:18:59.260-08:00Religion & Euthanasia - History of Important CasesAs promised, we will finally discuss a few of the cases surrounding the refusal of medical treatment on religious grounds....let us tie up a few loose ends surrounding our previous blog on related legislation first.<br /><br />As the legislation (Health Care Consent Act) outlines, consent is a necessary pre-requisite to all medical interventions. If medical treatment is done without consent, it can amount to legal repercussions. Since no treatment can be done without consent, it follows that a competent adult (and in some cases child) is entitled to refuse medical treatment. The Act also states that legal penalties can apply even where the treatment will improve the patient’s medical condition and even where the patient would have died without the treatment. So regardless of the outcome, consent must be given before medical intervention is given. There are actual cases of this happening and whether or not it is right from a moral standpoint, it is from a legal standpoint. What a great thank you for a doctor doing his/her job. You potentially save a life, pat yourself on your back, and the patient turns around and slaps a lawsuit on you for not gaining their consent to save them. I don’t know about any of you, but I would be rather perturbed if I was the doctor and it might even hinder some of my work in the near future. <br />Alright...here are a few of the cases regarding Jehovah’s witnesses refusing blood transfusions due to their religious beliefs:<br /><br />(1996, 2004)- British Columbia<br /><br />A 35 year old woman by the name of Daphine Hobbs died of blood loss in a B.C. hospital after receiving a hysterectomy. Before the procedure, she signed a waiver (giving consent) stating that she did not want to receive a blood transfusion at any time during the procedure. The document also released the hospital from ‘any wrongdoing’ in case of her death. What makes this case interesting is that her family attempted to sue the hospital for compensation in 2004 stating ‘negligence’. The suit was rejected by the B.C. Supreme Court due to the fact that Mrs. Hobbs signed the waiver knowing the risks that were involved in her decision.<br /><br />(2007)- England and UK<br /><br />Emma Gough, 22, died of blood loss after giving birth to twins in the UK. She stated that she had to refuse the blood transfusion because of her religious beliefs. A month later, Rachel Underhill, 32, refused a blood transfusion during an emergency Caesarean section in England. Luckily Rachel Underhill survived the procedure and said that she received “a chill down her spine” when she heard about a Mrs. Gough dying a month earlier from a similar situation. Mrs. Underhill is no longer a Jehovah’s Witness and feels that something needs to be changed regarding patients’ wishes. She states that transfusions should not carry “fear of censure or legal action”.<br /><br />Let us know how you feel about these cases. How would you feel if you were one of the patients? Family members? A doctor? More cases to come in our next entry.LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-6455048036968470372008-11-09T13:27:00.000-08:002008-11-09T15:19:23.017-08:00Bill C - 407: A Critique - Euthanasia in the Law<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Bill C - 407: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?pub=bill&doc=C-407&parl=38&ses=1&language=E</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite my support for euthanasia as a general concept, I believe that had I been an MP in parliament the day the Bill C - 407 was voted on, I probably would not have supported its passage. It was after all, just an amendment, a rather small document utterly unable to address or even cope with the storming controversy surrounding this issue. This post is designed to address some of Bill C - 407's short falls, as well as some of the legal complications inherent in the situation. </div><div><br /></div><div>The first and perhaps most controversial aspect of this bill was that it gave an individual the right to request euthanasia even if they had refused appropriate medical treatments. This was an outrage for many interest groups that oppose euthanasia, and on a very personal level I find this to be somewhat objectionable as well. I believe that euthanasia should only be considered in the more hopeless of circumstances, in which there is enduring pain and suffering without the possibility of relief. However, as mentioned in a previous post, we cannot force someone to receive medical treatment under Canadian law, so a provision in a euthanasia bill that prohibits someone from being euthanized because they have not tried all available medical options would likely be struck down as unlawful. </div><div><br /></div><div>This represents an intrinsic conundrum for the legal system and its ability to deal with euthanasia in a way that reflects the attitudes of the citizens of Canada. Many individuals would not support someone euthanizing themselves if they had not tried all available curative options. This remains an issue that must be dealt with if we are to put a new policy into place that is supportive of assisted suicide. </div><div><br /></div><div>Another major flaw inherent in Bill C- 407 is the vagueness of much of its wording. For instance, the bill uses the word "lucid" to identify a person who is able to consent to death. However, the bill does not outline any procedures or steps one can take to ascertain how "lucid" a person is. Should one just use their own judgement? Should the patient be referred to a psychiatrist to determine how "lucid" they are? Or should the simple fact that they can form a coherent sentence be used to infer that they are in a "lucid" frame of mind?</div><div><br /></div><div>Aside from this the bill also ignores the issue surrounding the appropriateness of the word "lucid" as a proper criteria for consenting to euthanasia. For example, is a chronically depressed individual in the right frame of mind to make a decision regarding assisted suicide? My answer would be that it invariably depends on the situation. I am sure we could all imagine a situation in which we would believe that a depressed individual should not be making such a decision. However, under Bill C-407 they would be given that right and there would be very little that anyone could do about it. This example highlights the fact that other psychological variables may be at play in the decision making process and that we may want to examine these before we agree that a person is "lucid" and capable of making a fully informed decision. </div><div><br /></div><div>This point can also be highlighted when we consider age as a variable in the decision making process. For instance, in the Netherlands they allows euthanasia for individuals as young as 12 to be euthanized (although Bill C-407 restricted this to 18). Do individuals this young really have a good conception of what being euthanized will mean? Do they have the cognitive capacity to make this decision? This is yet another issue that was left unaddressed by Bill C - 407 and will have to be addressed in order to ensure that we have adequate restrictions on the usage of euthanasia as a "medical treatment". </div><div><br /></div><div>The last point I'd like to make is that the role of the medical practitioner in Bill C - 407 was also rather vague. Under the bill anyone could technically euthanize someone else as long as they were a medical practitioner or under the "supervision" of a medical practitioner. The law does not clearly address what is entailed in this supervision and I believe that it should. I believe that if we are not specific in setting up a law like this, misuses or abuses could potentially occur and that we need to show due diligence in anticipating these. </div><div><br /></div><div>These are just a few of the more poignant issues I had with the bill. There is one more that I was unsure about so I thought I would leave it as a question for readers:</div><div><br /></div><div>Many opponents of this bill said that if it were enacted, someone who decided they wanted to be euthanized could do so in less than 2 weeks (the bill required a minimum of 10 days between requests to be euthanized). Do you think this is right? Is this enough time to make a decision about whether you would like to continue living? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-41580346679446056842008-11-07T16:16:00.001-08:002008-11-07T17:12:36.938-08:00History of Euthanasia in Canada<span style="font-weight: bold;">1972</span><br />- Canadian Parliament abolishes suicide and attempted suicide as crimes under the criminal code.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1980</span><br />- First pro-euthanasia group (Dying With Dignity) is founded in Canada.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1983</span><br />- Law Reform Commission of Canada release <span style="font-style: italic;">Report on Euthanasia, Aiding Suicide and Cessation of Treatment</span> & recommend decriminalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Also recommends for Criminal Code to be changed so physicians are not required to administer treatment against patient’s wishes or when treatment is useless and against patient’s best interest.<br /><br />- Under Dr. Nachum Gal’s orders (pediatrician at Alberta Hospital), a nurse removes severely brain-damaged infant from life-support and injects it with lethal dose of morphine. Dr. Gal flees to Israel and is unable to be extradited to face murder charges. Nurse in question is receives a 1 year suspension.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1984</span><br />- Canadian Nursing Association, Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Hospital Association, Canadian Bar Association, Catholic Health Association of Canada & Law Reform Commission issue joint statement establishing procedure for Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1987</span><br />- Law Reform Commission releases proposed changes to <span style="font-style: italic;">Criminal Code</span> & recommend that mercy killing get treated as 2nd-degree rather than 1st-degree murder (premeditated). At this 2nd-degree murder carries no fixed or minimum jail term.<br /><br />- <span style="font-style: italic;">Malette v. Shulman</span> - the right of a Jehovah's Witness to refuse life-saving blood transfusion is upheld by Ontario Court of Appeals. It’s noted that it is the duty health care professionals respect such a refusal or refusal made in advance directive.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1990</span><br />- Dr. Perry (an MLA) admits he may have hastened his dying father’s death by injecting him with morphine shots. He receives no punishment as B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons states he did nothing illegal since providing palliative care and treatment that may coincidentally hasten death is an acceptable practice.<br /><br />- Vancouver psychologist David Lewis, admits to assisting in suicides of 8 AIDS patients.<br />Before legal action is taken, Lewis, also an AIDS patient dies in an assisted prescription drug overdose.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1991</span><br />- B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons issues statement against euthanasia after reviewing deaths of two terminal patients under Dr. Peter Graff. Coroner ruled deaths resulted from morphine overdoses and College of Physicians & Surgeons ruled Dr. Graff's treatment was unacceptable. However, criminal charges were not filed.<br /><br />- Right to Die Society (pro-euthanasia) is formed in Victoria, BC.<br /><br />- Bill C-203 (act to decriminalize euthanasia & physician assisted suicide of the terminally ill) is introduced. In response, pro-life organization Compassionate Heath Networkis form and the bill gets defeated.<br /><br />- More euthanasia legislation proposed, Bill C-261, "An Act to legalize the administration of euthanasia under certain conditions to persons who request it and who are suffering from an irremediable condition and respecting the withholding and cessation of treatment and to amend the Criminal Code". Bill C-261 is also defeated in the House of Commons.<br /><br />- B.C. Royal Commission on Health Care & Costs recommends Criminal Code changes so it recognizes an adults right to refuse treatment & cases where patient is not competent an appointed proxy should have right to make decisions. Also called for decriminalization of physician assisted suicide as long as patient was terminal. Recommendations were never followed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1992</span><br />- Nancy B., an incurable patient requests to have her respirator turned off and Quebec Superior Court rules that "letting nature take its course" is not a criminal offence.<br /><br />- Canadian Medical Association releases <span style="font-style: italic;">Policy Summary on Advance Directives for Resuscitation and other Life-Saving/Sustaining Measures</span>. Argues physicians must assist patients in such situations but should honor patient's advanced directives.<br /><br />- Corporation Professionelle des Médecins du Québec (CPMQ) reprimands physician who lethally injected a 38-year-old AIDS patient after receiving consent from patient/patient's family. Physician receives 3 months probation.<br /><br />- Scott Mataya, a Toronto nurse, is charged with 1st-degree murder after removing s terminally ill patient's ventilator at their request. When patient began to convulse, Mataya injects lethal dose of potassium chloride. Mataya pled guilty to lesser charge of administering noxious substance & gets maximum sentence of 3 years probation & forced to surrender his nursing license.<br /><br />- Bill C-385, an Act to legalize assisted suicide is read in the House of Commons. Bill is never debated is dropped when an election is called.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1993</span><br />- British Columbia Ministry of the Attorney General issues guidelines for Crown in charging those involved in cases of active euthanasia & assisted suicide.<br /><br />- In a vote of 5-to-4 the Supreme Court of Canada dismisses Sue Rodriguez's appeal where she challenged the <span style="font-style: italic;">Criminal Code</span>'s criminalization of assisted suicide under Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.<br /><br />- MP Ian Waddell recommends euthanasia legislation which would ensure those assisting the terminally ill (who wish to die) commit suicide are not subject to criminal liability. It is voted down 140 to 25.<br /><br />- Canadian Medical Association releases <span style="font-style: italic;">Canadian Physicians and Euthanasia</span>, a report intended to educate physicians so they develop their own opinion on the topic.<br /><br />- Vancouver columnist Lyn Cockburn and two senior editors found in contempt of court when refusing identify their source for a 1991 article describing the assisted suicide of a woman with AIDS.<br /><br />- Sub-Committee on Recodification of the General Part of the Criminal Code of the Standing Committee on Justice and the Solicitor General recommends that Minister of Justice reviews legal & philosophical issues surrounding assisted suicide.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1994</span><br />- Another proposed euthanasia bill, C-215 was read and defeated in the House of Commons<br /><br />- Canadian Medical Association votes against euthanasia.<br /><br />- Robert Latimer (Saskatchewan) receives life imprisonment without parole for at least ten years when charged with 2nd-degree murder of his daughter Tracy. Latimer argues he was ending her suffering (she was severely physically & developmentally disabled as result of cerebral palsy) when he put her in the back of his truck and allowed her to die of carbon monoxide poisoning.<br /><br />- Cheryl Myers & Michael Power (Nova Scotia) are charged with 2nd-degree murder after they suffocate Myers' terminally ill father. They plead guilty to manslaughter and are sentenced to 3 years probation, and 150 hours of community service.<br /><br />- Justice Minister Allan Rock publicly states that issues involving cessation of treatment and assisted suicide should be considered by Parliament.<br /><br />- Prime Minister Chrétien states MPs will have a free vote whether to legalize doctor-assisted suicide.<br /><br />- A Special Senate Committee is established to examine & report on the legal, social, & ethical issues relating to euthanasia & assisted suicide.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1995</span><br />- Alzheimer's suffering Cecil Bush expresses his wish to die and his wife Jean obliges. Despite pleading guilty to manslaughter, she receives a non-custodial sentence, from a judge who felt she had suffered enough.<br /><br />- Special Senate Committee on Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide issued Of Life and Death report where they conclude involuntary euthanasia should continue to be treated as murder. The majority also opposes voluntary & non-voluntary euthanasia and recommends they remain criminal offences. It is also recommended that Parliament create a separate offense of "compassionate homicide" which would not carry a mandatory life sentence.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1997</span><br />- 3 years into his life sentence, Robert Latimer is ordered a new trial by Supreme Court of Canada. He is again convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to two years less a day, notwithstanding that the minimum sentence under the Criminal Code is life in prison with no possibility of parole for ten years.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1998</span><br />- Dr. Nancy Morrison removes a terminally ill patient from life support and is charged with the first-degree murder. Nova Scotia judge finds there is insufficient evidence to convict Dr. Morrison and refuses to hear the case.<br /><br />- Dr. Douglas Kinsella & Marja Verhoef of University of Calgary publish results of 1995 survey of Canadian physicians. Over 57% of the 1,885 physicians who responded said they would not assist a suicide even if it were legalized.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2005</span><br />- Bill C-407, is proposed to House of Commons & is designed to amend the Criminal Code and decriminalize euthanasia and assisted suicide.<br /><br />- Group of 61 physicians & 39 lawyer petition against the legalization of physician assisted suicide claiming “we do not want to become the executioners of our patients. The statement was issued prior to the 2nd reading of Bill C-407, which gets voted down.LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-20995688386819704822008-11-07T14:11:00.000-08:002008-11-07T14:14:45.209-08:00Religion & Euthanasia - Religions That ApplyAs we were about to comment on a few of the cases regarding patients refusing medical treatment on religious grounds it just dawned on us...we haven’t actually talked about what specific religions actually pertain to this topic. There are way too many religions to know exactly how many carry stipulations regarding medical procedures and frankly...we don’t have the time to research all of them, so we will only touch on a few. There is a lot of variation in terms of what religions deem to be acceptable medical intervention and there is also a lot of variation in terms of the consequences that will apply afterwards. Some religions outright ban certain medical procedures and expulsion from the religious group can happen if a follower decides to ‘go against their religion’. Other religions do not take such an extreme approach and although they may discourage a certain medical procedure, they leave it up to the individual to decide. <br /><br />Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian denomination, are known for more than just their door-to-door preaching tactics. They are also known for their refusal of blood transfusions on religious grounds and there have been many documented cases of Jehovah’s Witnesses doing so. They believe that the Bible prohibits blood transfusions and this belief is based upon how they interpret certain passages from the bible. The specific passage that Jehovah’s Witnesses belief tells them to ‘abstain from blood’ is Acts 15: 28, 29. In the passage it states:<br /><br /><a name="bk28">28</a> For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favored adding no further burden to YOU, except these necessary things, <a name="bk29">29</a> to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication. If YOU carefully keep yourselves from these things, YOU will prosper. Good health to YOU!” <br /><br />Jehovah’s Witnesses do not feel that the threat of death is enough to abandon their beliefs and they take blood transfusions very seriously. In fact, in 1961, accepting a blood transfusion became grounds for expulsion from the religion. <br /><br />Two other religions that apply to this topic, although they do not have as strong beliefs as Jehovah’s Witnesses, are Christian Science and Roman Catholics. Christian Science (and NO it’s not Scientology) has a very spiritual base and the religion was established in the 19th century by Mary Baker Eddy. The religion does not have any specific rules against any particular medical procedures and the use of medicine is not forbidden. However, they choose to rely on prayer and the work of God to heal them. Roman Catholics do not feel obligated to use extraordinary means to prolong life and have actually taken extra steps to distinguish the refusal of extensive medical procedures from euthanasia. In 1980, the ‘Declaration on Euthanasia’ was issued on behalf of Pope John Paul II and to avoid a huge history lesson...the document basically states that the refusal of medical treatment does not constitute euthanasia. <br /><br />If others reading this blog know of any other religions that have similar beliefs regarding medical procedures, please feel free to comment. Specific cases of people refusing medical procedures on religious grounds are coming in the future from this section of the blog...we promise :)<br /><br />-All info. regarding the various religions was taken from each religion's respective websiteLLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-22453438699227167402008-11-07T08:22:00.000-08:002008-11-07T08:24:21.763-08:00How does this affect you?At this point I would like to turn your attention back to some of the legal issues. I won’t discuss any of the laws, but I would like to discuss the steps towards change that came because of a woman named Sue Rodriguez. Rodriguez was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease in 1991. In 1992, she courageously brought her story with a video statement played to members of Parliament, and asked lawmakers to change the law banning assisted suicide. Rodriguez presented a bold statement; "If I cannot give consent to my own death, whose body is this? Who owns my life?" she said. (According to CBC News)<br /><br />It’s interesting because what she captured in those words was a concern that everyone who has ever been in a similar situation has felt. It is also a concern that those who have not had a similar experience would not relate to, which poses a problem. <br /><br />The Supreme Court of Canada ultimately ruled against Rodriguez, but her struggle stimulated the public. Rodriguez committed suicide in 1994 with the help of an anonymous doctor. <br />Her story left the public questioning the issues of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Although the law didn’t pass, her story was one of many resistors who took their lives into their own hands. “Who owns your body?” Who gets to make those choices? Medical Schools are placing more and more emphasis and bringing up the issue of euthanasia to prospective candidates, to be sure that they will not go against their oath and against the law. However, as we have seen from the previous blog of PhD student’s study of euthanasia in Canada, many doctors still chose to let their patients have control over their bodies and respect their values and wishes.<br /><br />Both Canada and the United States have always banned assisted suicide, charging people who help others kill themselves with murder, manslaughter and other offences. One famous doctor on this issue would be Dr. Kevorkian. He was a retired Michigan pathologist, loudly advocated a person's right to die and invented an instrument - called the "suicide machine" - that lets patients inject themselves intravenously with a lethal injection of potassium chloride. (CBC News)<br /><br />Police charged him in the deaths of a number of people, but juries repeatedly let him off until 1999, when he was jailed on a conviction of second-degree murder after helping a terminally ill patient to die. In 2007, Kevorkian was released from jail in and said he had no regrets for conducting the assisted suicide.<br /><br />Oregon is the only state with a law that specifically allows physician-assisted suicide, enacted in 1997. I wonder what people are waiting for.<br /><br />Going back to Rodriguez’s statement, ‘who owns my life?’ makes you think. Who does own us? Why is society making those decisions that dictate our life? Does Canada not pride itself on its inclusion of all individuals? Doesn’t Canada celebrate diversity? Then why does Canada enforce everyone to die under regulated circumstances? Why can we live by our own choices, but need to die on someone else’s terms?<br /><br />We would love to hear your thoughts on all thisLLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-37579373922359471422008-11-06T13:04:00.000-08:002008-11-06T14:40:02.268-08:00Bill C-407 - Euthanasia in the LawAs mentioned in a previous post, the 'slippery slope' argument remains a compelling piece of anti-euthanasia rhetoric (If you can't tell by now, this author is pro-euthanasia). However, in many countries, it appears that they have over come their own logical fallacies and aversions regarding the discussion of death related issues.<br /><br />The Netherlands for instance became the first country to legalize euthanasia in 2002 and have since then enacted strict legal requirements surrounding it. I think it suffieces to say that their society has not fallen apart, there has been no mass killings of unwanted persons, and there appears to be no indication of one in the future. <br /><br />Even if there was an inclination in the populace to use euthanasia as a scapegoat in this manner, the strict legal standards surrounding its usage in the Netherlands would likely prevent it. A brief summary of these standards is provided here:<br /><br />The basics requirements to perform euthanasia on someone are as follows:<br /><br />The patient must have already been in the doctor's care for a period of time.<br /><br />The patient's suffering is unbearable, and she or he has no hope of recovery.<br /><br />The patient makes a deliberate and voluntary request that she or he has discussed thoroughly with the doctor.<br /><br />The doctor consults a colleague who agrees that these criteria have been met .<br /><br /><br />This general model provided the basis for a similar Belgian law regarding euthanasia and it has been argued by many that it could serve a similar purpose in Canada. This author was going to explore the possibilities of applying this basic framework to the Canadian system, however, after some extensive research, it was found that a bill on euthanasia has already been authored and presented in Parliment. Although the bill died after extensive debate (its death was largely accredited to the vagueness of its wording), it still may be used as a useful model for the Canadian system and provides a plausible reference point for current policy.<br /><br />If the reader would like to read this bill they can go to the following website:<br /><br />http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?pub=bill&doc=C-407&parl=38&ses=1&language=E<br /><br /><div>This particular piece of legislation was designed to amend section 241 and 14 of the Canadian Criminal Code (Read "An Introduction - Euthanasia in the Law" for details on these sections). This particular amendment is extremely similar to the law currently enforced in the Netherlands on most respects. However, there are two significant areas in which the proposed amendment differed. They are: 1) the Netherlands allowed minors (12 and up) to request euthanasia while the Canadian amendment required that the individual be an adult and 2) it appears that the Netherlands required the supervising medical professional to have been acquainted with the case for a period of time, while no such stipulation existed in Bill C-407. </div><div><br /></div><div>Several other significant aspects of Bill C-407 will be dissected in future posts (in addition to the two issues raised above). The purpose of this entry was merely to introduce the reader to one of the proposed alternative policies that has already been presented in Canada. However, I would like to leave the reader with a thought regarding the significance of the introduction of such a bill in Canadian parliament. </div><div><br /></div><div>I believe that the introduction of this bill and others like it in the western world represents a fundamental shift in the attitudes of civilians towards euthanasia. We are beginning to re-examine the fit between our medically advanced culture, one that can keep people "alive" beyond the possibility of 'life', and the archaic laws that we put into place generations ago. This transformation is obviously going to be a painful one, fraught with casualty, however, it is beyond necessary. This bill represents the beginnings of a greater sensitivity on the part of the law towards the needs of individual Canadian citizens when it comes to how they define living and the life worth living. Although it was not passed, we can all bet that this issue has not been put to rest by any measure, and that some new alternate form of this bill will soon make an appearance in parliament. <br /></div><div><br /></div>LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-31737035990990266722008-11-05T15:32:00.000-08:002008-11-05T15:35:50.357-08:00Religion & Euthanasia - LegislationTo build on the previous blog regarding Religion & Euthanasia, we would like to talk about the legislation related to it. We would also like to take the opportunity to discuss a few of the important cases related to the refusal of medical procedures on religious grounds. Although the focus of our blog is related to Canadian legislation, a few cases from other countries will be discussed simply to give the topic some context.<br /><br />The right to refuse medical procedures on religious grounds would not exist in Canada if there was no legislation behind it. The ‘Health Care Consent Act’ was enacted in 1996 and it is the piece of legislation that upholds the rights of a patient to choose the type of medical treatment they receive. The purposes of this Act are:<br /><br />(a) to provide rules with respect to consent to treatment that apply consistently in all settings;<br /><br />(b) to facilitate treatment, admission to care facilities, and personal assistance services, for persons lacking the capacity to make decisions about such matters;<br /><br />(c) to enhance the autonomy of persons for whom treatment is proposed, persons for whom admission to a care facility is proposed and persons who are to receive personal assistance services by,<br />(i) allowing those who have been found to be incapable to apply to a tribunal for a review of the finding,<br />(ii) allowing incapable persons to request that a representative of their choice be appointed by the tribunal for the purpose of making decisions on their behalf concerning treatment, admission to a care facility or personal assistance services, and<br />(iii) requiring that wishes with respect to treatment, admission to a care facility or personal assistance services, expressed by persons while capable and after attaining 16 years of age, be adhered to;<br /><br />(d) to promote communication and understanding between health practitioners and their patients or clients;<br /><br />(e) to ensure a significant role for supportive family members when a person lacks the capacity to make a decision about a treatment, admission to a care facility or a personal assistance service; and<br /><br />(f) to permit intervention by the Public Guardian and Trustee only as a last resort in decisions on behalf of incapable persons concerning treatment, admission to a care facility or personal assistance services.<br /><br />A few of the cases regarding the refusal of medical treatment on religious grounds and a brief history of the topic will be discussed in the future...LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443034138444572784.post-76118668470471879872008-11-03T16:35:00.000-08:002008-11-03T16:37:12.832-08:00PhD Student Shares His Research With CBCDo you think because euthanasia is not legal in Canada, that it doesn’t exist? <br />A really interesting thing about euthanasia is that there are subtle ways to get around the law. <br /><br />In 1994, there was a news broadcast through CBC radio featuring a PhD student from Simon Fraser University, named Russell Ogden. He was researching euthanasia in Canada, and brought forward some of his findings.<br /><br />Ogden discussed different situations where euthanasia (‘assisted suicide’) occurred with the help of physicians. He stated that the physicians believed that their actions were justifiable and their decisions were made with compassion. He emphasized that it was done out of respect of the moral choices for the people who wanted to die. The physicians had considered the law, but it was a secondary consideration to the compassion and desire they had for the wishes and the people they were helping.<br /><br />The discussions about these illegal procedures took place over many years, before being carried out. Some of the patients were those with AIDS, that knew the discourse of each stage, or those with ALS, and other severe illnesses. The way the assisted suicide was carried out was not always humane however. In the cases where the physicians were actively involved it went well, in other cases it wasn’t as safe and gentle. In the best case scenario, the physicians would prescribe large doses of medication that would eventually be able to put the patients to rest. However, by doing this they may draw attention to themselves, and put their own lives and careers at risk. The patients’ ultimate goal was to try and create a death that will appear natural and not draw attention to their assistants. <br /><br />Case law in Canada indicates that murder charges in acts of euthanasia are usually reduced to much lesser charges, such as mischief causing danger to life or administration of a noxious substance. Minor charges sometimes include jail sentences, however, in the three cases in the courts of Ontario, they were either suspended sentences, conditional discharge, or put on probation.<br /><br />Russell Ogden supported the choices for individual on how they choose to end their lives. He believes that there should be a law that allows assisted suicide as a regulated form of behaviour and there should be some guidance from policy and from law.<br /><br />The idea of death is a scary thing in our society. No one wants to talk about it; no one really wants to deal with it at all. We try and see it as natural, but is it? Death with dignity can be something far more valuable to those who are struggling. For some, it is important to know that they can control their own lives, they have been their whole life, why stop short. Those who are pro-euthanasia are just looking to have a choice for their future.LLJJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909527936988190180noreply@blogger.com1