Should euthanasia be legal?

Doctors should use anesthetics to alleviate suffering

Question: Should euthanasia be legal?
Position‹2 of 2: No, euthanasia should be illegal
Argument‹4 of 5›: Doctors should use anesthetics to alleviate suffering

Doctor first and foremost should administer anesthetics to patient’s system to alleviate his suffering, instead of an outright euthanasia.

The argument

Euthanasia cannot be undone. If the main reason for the legalization of euthanasia is alleviating the pain of a terminally ill patient, then the administration of opiates or other pharmacological measures aimed at minimizing suffering reach that goal. There’s no justification for ending a patient’s life. Administration of anesthetic is always preferable to euthanasia since it doesn't create ethical dilemmas, doesn't put a responsibility of deciding in matters of life and death on physicians, and keeps the possibility of recovery open.

Context

The practice of euthanasia is often linked or put in opposition to palliative care as both concern themselves with the well-being of terminally ill patients. There is no consensus in the hospice community on the legalization of euthanasia.

Premises

[P1]Euthanasia is irreversible, whereas anesthetics and palliative drugs can alleviate a terminally ill patient's suffering without ending life. [P2] If suffering can be addressed by means that preserve life and the possibility of recovery, there is no justification for ending the patient's life instead. [P3] Using anesthetics rather than euthanasia avoids placing life-and-death decisions on physicians and sidesteps the associated ethical dilemmas. [C] Therefore, euthanasia should remain illegal, since adequate pain relief through anesthetics is always the preferable alternative.

Counter-arguments

There are diseases and conditions for which palliative care is not a viable alternative. Palliative care cannot stop some patients from experiencing constant vomiting, breathlessness or paralyzation. Palliative care also does not resolve the issue of patients' dependency on others.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] Not all patients can be relieved from pain by palliative care.