Euthanasia is intentionally ending a life to release oneself from some trauma, pain or suffering. While some think this practice is fair to the people who want to end their own life, many are against this practice and this topic has been up for debate for a long time. Euthanasia is usually opted when a person is suffering from a long illness which is incurable. But of late, this hasn’t been the only reason.

Although active euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia, Germany, Hawaai and many other places, different countries have different laws regarding this practice. Passive euthanasia is legal in India where life support can be withdrawn from patients who are in a permanent vegetative states.

I’m sure many people have heard of the teenager Noa Pothoven, a 17 year old in Netherlands. She suffered sexual assualt and rape at a very young age and she couldn’t recover from that mental trauma. She decided to end her life and refused to take any fluids or food. She even posted on Instagram that she wanted to end her life willingly. Her parents and doctors respected her decision and technically even if it’s not a case of euthanasia since the state wasn’t involved but it was definitely assisted suicide.

Euthanasia can raise several questions about morals, ethics, civilisation, rights and other aspects of human life. The opinion of the population can be divided into parts.

On one hand many put forward arguments that euthanasia should be supported because if a person is suffering from a long chronic, incurable disease it gives them the option to die with dignity. If a person is suffering isn’t it better to end their ssuffering? Patients like these, they don’t want to be a burden on their family. Prolonged treatment means a huge amount of financial investment and if the disease is incurable, what is the point of spending so much money if there is no way the person can be saved? Moreover after the person choses to die, their organs can de donated for transplant and people who actually have a chance at life can be saved.

While on the other hand, the people who are against euthanasia have different views and opinions. Should we actually just watch and let a person die just because they’re depressed? Do our ethics allow us to do that? Research shows that maximum of the people who opt for euthanasia are depressed and they give up on searching for alternatives. Wanting to end one’s life and wanting to commit suicide is a psychiatric issue and should be looked into. It is the state’s responsibility to take care of the patients and do them no harm. But if patients lose hope and choose euthanasia whenever they sense nothing else can be done, what will be left of humanity? Patients need to see the ray of hope in their life and legalised euthanasia leads to degradation of the quality of care offered to the patients. Many people opt for euthanasia due to the financial pressure of the treatment required but if some amount of financial help is provided to the patients from the state, then maybe patients might not want to choose this method.

Although this debate of whether euthanasia is right or wrong isn’t fully settled but it does raise a inevitable question- Is euthanasia really a boon or a curse?

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