Euthanasia: a pragmatic view

There will never be a simple resolution of the euthanasia debate, and perhaps there should not be. However, any policy in a pluralistic society should be based on the wishes of the individual so long as those wishes do not adversely affect others. Perhaps, as in the Netherlands, euthanasia needs to be decriminalised without being made legal, in a similar way to the decriminalisation of soft drugs such as marijuana (interestingly, the Dutch laws on drugs have also been held up as a possible standard for the USA as drug use in the Netherlands is much less problematic than in the USA (36). Individuals should be able to make difficult decisions regarding their own lives and healthcare workers should have the freedom, without fear of prosecution, to allow people in their care to pursue those options with dignity. This article has supported the proponent view of euthanasia--that it can be beneficial as it affirms individual autonomy. Compassionate carers must consider all the arguments in order to determine their own personal stand on the issue.