Stigma Around Doctor-Assisted Suicide Still Lingers

March 22, 2015

In the realms of politics, medical ethics, religion and technological innovation, assisted suicide is the source of challenging legal and moral questions, perhaps none more searing than whether doctors ought to be permitted to usher incurably ill patients into that next room. Should they be able to help sufferers end their lives by supplying medication that would make looming death come faster?

Five states, in various forms, countenance doctor-assisted dying. Others are considering it. In California, legislation to permit such assistance is scheduled to receive a hearing this week. A lawsuit in New York that seeks a similar result was filed in State Supreme Court last month by a group of doctors and dying patients.

The emotional wallop of these issues is self-evident, and it is captured in a 14 minute NY Times video documentary.

Continue reading: Stigma Around Doctor-Assisted Suicide Lingers.  Video link is on this site.