According to World Population, euthanasia is medically assisted suicide where a physician gives a terminally ill patient, or a patient with an extreme illness, a medicine that will put them to sleep forever. The patient fully consents to the euthanasia process because they are in so much pain that it is impossible to relieve it any other way. It has been legalized in a few countries: Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, and some parts of the United States. If a doctor performs euthanasia on a patient illegally, they could get their medical license taken away and be sentenced to time in prison.

Medical News Today states that there are different types of euthanasia: voluntary, non-voluntary, involuntary, passive, and active. Voluntary euthanasia is conducted with consent. Non-voluntary is when a patient is unable to consent due to their medical condition but another trusted individual can consent for them. Involuntary is considered murder because a patient is given a large dose of drugs to take away their pain and kill them but without their consent; that’s illegal. Passive euthanasia is when a doctor prescribes a patient large doses of lethal medication that are supposed to slowly kill the patient, and active euthanasia is when an individual uses large doses of lethal substances or harmful forces that can be deadly to them. Euthanasia doesn’t have to be performed by a doctor and can be done on their own. A doctor doesn’t usually issue an order for euthanasia to occur, as it is the patient that requests this option because of their suffering. If the doctor is the one to recommend it, the patient can refuse not to go through that process.

Euthanasia is a controversial topic; a lot of people may disagree with it because of their religious views that dictate suicide to be immoral. Mental illness is another reason, because if a patient deals with a mental illness and they request this, it can be a more complicated decision. It may be seen as more of their mind than their body that wants them to pass away. Lastly, doctors or family members of a patient may feel guilty about putting their loved ones through euthanasia, even if the patient asks for it. Ultimately, this contentious medical question raises both eyebrows and healthcare standards.