In which countries is euthanasia allowed? Types of euthanasia and its relation to it

In translation from Greek, euthanasia is "good"death ", and at all times the possibility of a seriously ill person to leave his life of his own free will, without suffering pain and torment, was supported or challenged by the religious, secular and medical community. Today we know in which countries euthanasia is allowed. Incidentally, even a special kind of medical tourism - suicidal tourism, that is, a trip for the opportunity to leave the life without legal delay - has been developed in them, by the way.

History

In fact, killing sick people and even childrenwas practiced at all times. The term has Greek roots, since it was the Greeks who first took the practice of finishing off wounded comrades on the battlefield so that they would not suffer from incurable trauma. We all remember the ancient Spartans who threw sick or crippled children off the cliff, not only to save themselves from their worries, but also to end the suffering of the child. By the way, such practices, according to the studies of ethnographers, were also in use among ancient peoples, for example, the Far North or Oceania up to the 19th century.

In the modern world before the Second World War insome European countries did not have a ban on euthanasia, and this did not contradict the moral and ethical principles of society. However, the fascist program of T4, during which the Germans, fighting for the purity of the Aryan race, killing mentally retarded people and even children, as well as patients with mental disorders, discredited these ideas for the next 50 years.

Theory and practice of euthanasia

In the modern world, euthanasia is a humanethe termination of the life of an incurably sick person with his consent (or his relatives) in order to save him from suffering. It is used mainly in cases when the patient's quality of life is at the lowest level and he is in pain, but there is no chance of recovery.

Also today there are two types of euthanasia:

• Passive - is used in cases when the patientconnected to the life support system. In this case, doctors simply turn off the person from the devices that support life. Most often this is done for patients in a deep coma with the permission of relatives.
• Active - the introduction of drugs to the patient,guaranteeing a quick and painless death. These are usually injections or drugs in liquid form, representing a cocktail of sedatives, barbiturates and anesthesia. This also includes cases where a doctor can provide a person with the necessary amount of medication for his independent departure from life.

Different aspects of euthanasia

A difficult and terrible choice is to continue living withincurable disease, experiencing pain and suffering, dooming them close, or to make a decision while a person is still able to think sensibly - that's the main question of euthanasia. The main stumbling blocks in the issues of its legalization are legal, ethical and religious.

The simplest aspect is legal. In countries where euthanasia is prohibited, it is regarded as murder. In some other countries, as such, euthanasia is not allowed, but it is applied, but is veiled under other procedures. This is done so that the doctor conducting the procedure does not experience any problems with the law in the future.

It is more difficult with moral and religious aspects. On the one hand, this is suicide and murder, and in most religions this is a mortal sin, and even in the Soviet state there is a high pressure on a person in these matters. The state often can not assume responsibility and allow to dispose of another's life even with the permission of the patient. Yes, and many doctors do not dare to perform such duties, because they contradict not only the moral principles, but also the oath of Hippocrates.

In Russia

Speaking about which countries are allowedeuthanasia, it is worth noting separately that the Russian Federation is not on this list. In our country this equates to murder by the degree of responsibility, and this issue is regulated by the Criminal Code and legislation, namely Federal Law No. 323 "On the fundamentals of protecting the health of citizens in the Russian Federation".

Given the countries in which euthanasia is permitted forforeigners, Russian citizens can only go on the last trip to one of them. The last time in 2007, on behalf of deputies, a proposal was proposed to amend the Criminal Code and allow euthanasia in Russia, but the proposal was met with violent indignation of the public and was withdrawn.

In which country is euthanasia allowed

After the brutal murders of fascists by millions of peopleeuthanasia was banned in the entire civilized world. Only 50 years later this question began to be raised in Europe. Thanks to this, today we know in which countries euthanasia is allowed. The list is as follows:

• Netherlands.
• Belgium.
• Luxembourg.
• Albania.
• Switzerland (only in Zurich).
• USA (only in the states of Vermont, Oregon, Washington, Georgia).
• Canada.

Having specified, in what countries the euthanasia is resolved,we note that there are countries where there is no official legalization, but precedents happen there. This is Japan and Colombia. In some countries, even in some cases, there are legal proceedings. Nevertheless, in these countries euthanasia is actually possible.

Modern Practice

In 1984, the Netherlands first legalized the right tovoluntary withdrawal from life of hard and painfully ill people. Following the Netherlands, other Benelux countries joined the practice, namely Belgium and Luxembourg. In Luxembourg, by the way, a patient intending to receive euthanasia must obtain the consent of two doctors at once. Here the doctors make and keep the relevant records to prove that the decision to leave was taken by the patient or relatives, and did not become a mistake or a criminal will of the doctor himself.

In 1999, Albania allowed passive euthanasiafor patients in a coma with the consent of three relatives. Despite the legislative approval of the procedure, the Catholic Church, which is very strong in the country, promotes the prohibition of euthanasia.

Since 2002, in Holland, the right to euthanasia haschildren over 12 years old, and since 2014 any age restrictions have been lifted in Belgium, that is, even a child of any age can get euthanasia with the consent of his parents or guardians.

Since the Netherlands and Belgium are countries with someof the mildest conditions of euthanasia, the authorities, out of fear of the flow of suicidal tourists, made a number of reservations, toughening the conditions of the procedure. For example, it is understood that a relationship of trust between the patient and the doctor should be established.

Ever since 1941, euthanasia is permitted in the cantonZurich in Switzerland. And here suicidal tourism is flourishing, mostly citizens of England and Germany, knowing in which countries euthanasia is allowed, go to Zurich precisely for lethal injection. Due to the softness of local laws, people literally stand in line for the opportunity to escape from life. And until 2011, to the question: “In which countries is euthanasia permitted for the healthy, that is, not for the incurably sick?” - the Swiss had the answer: “In Zurich”. The rebellious public forced the government to adopt the appropriate amendments, and now only seriously ill citizens of the whole world can meet here death.

In 2016, Canada lifted a ban on doctor’s assistance incommitting suicide to an incurable patient. Now the bill passes the formal agreement. However, according to him, not all patients can get this right, but only degenerative ones, that is, those whose tragic end is near and undeniable. That is, for example, people suffering from multiple sclerosis cannot be helped out of life by the law, as well as those who suffer severe pain without specific predictions about how many people will live.

Points for and against

All over the world, opponents and supporters of euthanasia make undeniable arguments in defense of their position. And such a difficult and serious question for every argument has the opposite argument against.

And the first argument for euthanasia suggests thatlife is good only when it makes sense and brings happiness, which terminal patients, for example, are exactly deprived of. The nasty argument says that the choice is not between a happy and unhappy life, but between the existence in principle and the cessation of it in any form. Undoubtedly, the termination of life is difficult to consider a blessing.

For euthanasia speak and those who know how expensiveand it is difficult to maintain the life of a seriously ill person or disabled person and a comatose. Especially if you try to ensure a normal quality of life. Opponents usually respond that the economic aspect still does not reconcile murder with the moral and ethical norms of modern humanity.

Knowing in which countries euthanasia is allowed andwhy, it’s hard not to agree that these are developed and prosperous countries with a high standard of living, where exactly the quality of this life comes out on top. The loss of this quality entails a loss of interest in life as such. Perhaps this explains the loyal laws that allow euthanasia to be applied to children or patients not in the terminal stage of the disease.

Opinion of the public and doctors about the problem

Despite the fact that public figures,politicians, the medical world deny euthanasia in the vast majority of countries, the public at large is not opposed to such an idea. Thus, according to a survey of Russian Internet users, 50 percent of respondents do not see anything terrible in euthanasia and consider it one of the human rights to freedom of choice.

Psychologists believe that this is due to the personal attitudes of most people who, in the case of an incurable disease, would not want to become a burden to their relatives and suffer.

Surveys of medical portals conducted amongyoung doctors show a similar division in the professional field - only half of the respondents in general are for the use of euthanasia, including in Russia.

The loudest cases in the modern world

In 1939, the famous Austrian psychoanalystSigmund Freud voluntarily died with the assistance of his doctor. Freud suffered from an incurable form of oral cancer and, before dying, he had more than 30 operations to remove tumors. And they were carried out under local anesthesia, since then general anesthesia was not used in such cases.

Belgian writer Hugo Claus taking advantage ofloyal laws of his country, adopted euthanasia, although he had only the first stage of cancer. But the French teacher Chantal Sebir, whose face was disfigured by a rare form of tumor, did not receive the right to voluntarily leave life in her native country, intended to go to Switzerland, knowing in which countries euthanasia of a person is allowed. However, in 2008 she committed suicide by injecting barbiturates.

Loud scandal caused euthanasia of twoshoemakers, who began to lose their sight and could not accept the fact that they would never see each other again. Despite the absence of a serious illness, they received lethal injections in Switzerland.

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