Why Assisted Dying Is a State Responsibility
The question of assisted dying is a deeply personal and difficult one. It's an issue of autonomy and dignity in the face of suffering. In the UK Parliament's debate on this topic, a core argument emerges from a fundamental inconsistency in how the state treats personal health decisions. While getting sick or old are personal processes, the state is heavily involved in assisted healing. Therefore, the same logic dictates that the state should also be involved in assisted dying.
The Core Inconsistency
The state already plays a massive role in our healthcare. We have a National Health Service (NHS) that provides a wide range of treatments and care, all designed to help people heal and prolong life.
This state involvement is not seen as an intrusion; rather, it's a fundamental duty to support the health and well-being of citizens. We don't say that treating cancer is a personal matter and should be left to the individual and their family alone. Instead, we have a public system in place to assist.
If the state is so deeply involved in assisting people to live, why does its responsibility stop at the point where a person, facing incurable and unbearable suffering, wishes to die? The decision to end one's life under these circumstances is just as personal as the decision to seek treatment for an illness. To deny assisted dying is to say that the state can help you live but cannot help you die, even when living has become a burden that a person no longer wishes to bear. This creates a moral and ethical imbalance in our healthcare system.
Addressing Concerns
Of course, there are significant concerns about assisted dying. The risk of foul play, pressure on vulnerable individuals, and ethical issues are very real and must be addressed. However, these concerns are not insurmountable. Many countries have already implemented assisted dying laws with strict safeguards, including:
Multiple physician approvals: Requiring more than one doctor to confirm the patient's terminal diagnosis and mental capacity.
Waiting periods: Ensuring the decision is not made impulsively.
Patient self-administration: In some cases, the patient must be the one to take the final dose, ensuring the act is truly voluntary.
3 Mental health evaluations: To confirm the patient is not suffering from treatable depression or other mental health conditions that may be influencing their decision.
These safeguards demonstrate that it is possible to create a system that respects individual autonomy while protecting the vulnerable. The debate should not be about whether to allow assisted dying, but how to implement it safely and compassionately.
In conclusion, if the state's role is to assist its citizens in their most vulnerable moments, then that responsibility must extend to both living and dying. To provide a public service for assisted healing but not for assisted dying is a logical and ethical contradiction that the UK Parliament should resolve.
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