One of the more controversial subjects in the medical field and elsewhere for many years has been the question of euthanasia, otherwise known as mercy killing or assisted suicide. Those who support the practice feel strongly that the individual freedoms of choice we enjoy during our lifetimes should also extend to apply to our choices regarding the end of life. They point to the prevailing sentiment we express when treating animals that are terminally ill or injured and suffering greatly as a result. In these cases, putting the animal down through humane lethal injection is considered the most humane and sympathetic treatment possible. If we take this stance in the treatment of our animals, we should be willing to take this same sort of stance regarding humans who have reached the end of their endurance. Opponents of euthanasia practices being applied to humans suggest that making euthanasia legal opens a dangerous window that would permit increased cases of coerced suicide in which family members may end up pressuring the ailing elderly to hasten their i
nevitable demise in order to benefit the rest of the family financially. In addition, they argue that being able to legally kill off the terminally ill would reduce any urgency felt by the medical community to develop new medicines or effective treatments designed to prolong life. People who oppose euthanasia on religious grounds argue that allowing assisted suicide is essentially playing God and is therefore sinful, but fail to satisfactorily answer questions regarding heroic life-giving interventions such as mechanical lungs and life support. Health care professionals typically point to the Hippocratic Oath as their primary opposition to the practice. This oath, taken by all health professionals, forbids medical providers from purposely taking life. The purpose of this paper is to examine the legal concerns that apply to the issue of euthanasia, to clarify what is meant by the term, present arguments that have been brought forward for and against the practice and finally to reach a conclusion that makes a recommendation on how to best resolve the issue.