Life takes its own course on different terrains: a smooth and stable road or a jagged and uneven path. However, the two paths diverge towards a single outcome: a dead end. Even if each life ends, its outcome is different. There can be either a quiet ending or a tragic disappearance. For those stuck in the arms of chronic pain and illness, their story does not have to end at the second option, but can move toward the first option, through physician-assisted suicide. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay Medical assistance in dying (MAID) is the consensual process of ending a person's life at their request , by the prescription or administration of a substance by a practitioner. Although this procedure may seem gruesome, these actions allow people in extreme suffering to die with dignity and peacefully. In June 2016, Canada joined countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium in legalizing assisted suicide (Ireland). As a new addition to the group, Canada lags far behind the achievements made by its sister countries. Canada's journey has only just begun. There is still a long way to go before we can see the benefits of legalizing assisted suicide. More than 1,300 Canadians have ended their lives through medical assistance in dying. Despite this, access to MAID has not been easy, as some communities lack doctors and nurse practitioners willing to help them end their lives. Additionally, healthcare facilities such as Catholic hospitals have the legal right to refuse assisted suicide. This is a growing problem that has caused enormous distress to the patient and their family. For them, the government has not really granted them full access to medically assisted suicide. Although Canada still faces problems with its current bill, assisted suicide should not be seen in a negative light, as its legalization results in more benefits than losses. First, the abuse of assisted suicide will continue, whether it is legal or not. Consider driving privileges. There are still people who park in a no parking zone, drive through red lights or commit malicious crimes like drink driving. These law breakers are not bothered by a simple parking ticket or prison sentence; this is why they had the audacity to cross the borders. This makes the extermination of such heinous crimes futile and absurd. Likewise, if assisted suicide were banned due to abuse, all other privileges might be banned as well, since no safeguards against such abuse are effective. Any restrictions or rules can be corrupted to harm others, so it is inevitable that MAID will not be exploited. On the other hand, even if assisted suicide were banned, its illegal practices would persist. In fact, it's better to have protocols permitting assisted suicide because doctors who practice illegally will be even "less likely to admit to participating in such practices." Despite the existence of law breakers, with or without bans, there will always be a majority group of people who obey the laws. Therefore, when it comes to assisted suicide, it is more beneficial if it exists legally with strict guidelines rather than being banned. Furthermore, legalizing physician-assisted suicide will not lead society down a slippery slope. In particular, this argument challenges the fact that if society authorizes actions suchthan assisted suicide, then civilization will be led “down a slippery slope,” allowing other obscene acts like involuntary euthanasia to take place. The impacts would be harmful for vulnerable groups, but there is evidence that there is no increased risk for the following groups: women, the uninsured, the poor, racial and ethnic minorities, minors and middle-aged elderly people, and especially those with non-terminal illnesses. physical illnesses or disabilities. It was a study based on solid data from Oregon and the Netherlands: two places that allow physician-assisted suicide. In both jurisdictions, people who died through MAID were more likely to belong to groups “enjoying social, economic, educational, professional and other privileges.” The existence of assisted suicide will not threaten vulnerable groups, since society is highly structured and organized; she will not tolerate chaos. Ultimately, the slippery slope effect is not a problem when it comes to physician-assisted suicide. Finally, the appalling image of a family member, bedridden in agony and whose motivation to live has diminished, is a heartbreaking tragedy. For those stuck in the arms of chronic pain and illness, the image and thought of permanent slavery to illness is daunting. Benefiting from palliative care, which aims to “relieve suffering and improve quality of life”, constitutes an inadequate solution for some. What people misunderstand is that for these people, “it’s not always pain that makes life worth living.” To remain unconscious, while continuing to breathe for the rest of one's life, is nothing short of torture worse than death. Just as one terminally ill patient said in a qualitative study in the UK, he wants to be "a useful member of society and at the same time end the pain." They want to lose the pain and find a new purpose, but unfortunately, palliative care can only relieve the pain. Surprisingly, the opposition argues that physician-assisted suicide will hinder palliative care, while encouraging a quick fix: death. But in reality, spending on palliative care in Belgium has “increased constantly, on an annual average, by almost 10% since the regulation of medical assistance in dying”. In other words, palliative care and MAID can work together, providing patients with potentially life-changing decisions. They both have the same goal: to relieve the suffering of patients. So the image of a family member, bedridden in agony, is no longer a heartbreaking tragedy. It is now a memory filled with deep peace. Despite the faults and imperfections of medical assistance in dying, it must be given the chance to live up to its objective: to offer Canadians a dignified death. Notably, the abuse, slippery slope effects, and “barriers” of palliative care do not constitute an obstacle to the legalization of assisted suicide. Ironically, the existence of assisted suicide constructively brings order and structure to society. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Personalized Essay On the whole, the lives of Canadians might nevertheless be conducted on different terrains; the two will diverge into one quiet ending. Physician-assisted suicide is the key to end-of-life freedom. Works Cited Ireland, KJ (2016). A history of assisted suicide in Canada. Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, 5(3), 61-80., 45(4), 14-23.