Why is euthanasia bad?

Euthanasia is the act of ending the life of a particular person for merciful reasons.  In order to free a person from pain or prolonged suffering, for example, euthanasia may be practiced by doctors.  Although laws and regulations regarding euthanasia may vary between countries, many rights groups advocate to totally ban the practice because they believe it is a bad choice.

“Mercy-killing,” as many people would call it, is considered unnecessary because of recent developments in palliative treatment.  Patients with very unpleasant symptoms can be part of an alternative treatment program to make them feel better and die receiving the best care.  For many people, ending the life of a person simply violates the right to take other options in treatment and care.

Many people would also argue that euthanasia is rarely voluntary.  This simply means that the decision to end a patient’s life rarely involves the most important person in this concern, which is the patient him/herself.  It is also common that relatives and family members who choose euthanasia may not have the right frame of mind to give what’s best for their loved one.  With all of these factors considered, choosing euthanasia may turn out to be a bad decision after all.

In the case of medical ethics, some would argue that the practice of euthanasia will only give more power to physicians.  If these medical professionals are given the go-ahead for euthanasia, some of them may not utilize all of the available options to prolong the life of a particular patient.  This concern may also lead to distrust between patients, their family members, and doctors.

Most of all, many people consider euthanasia as bad and want it made illegal as it affects people’s consciences in general.  Once a practice is legalized, for example, people will be desensitized to its ill-effects and will later feel that everything is fine when it’s not.  For many people, euthanasia is bad because it deprives the sick person of his/her rightful choice to life.