Euthanasia for children?

Euthanasia is the act of deliberately ending a person's life to relieve suffering. Currently it is legal for a doctor to end someone’s life in Luxembourg, Holland and Belgium. However euthanasia in the UK is considered illegal and can result in fourteen years imprisonment.  Recently, in Belgium they are proposing extending the law to legalise euthanasia for children, to relieve them from pain and suffering. The proposal is to legalise it in all age groups, currently in the Netherlands it is legal for over twelve with parental consent, but Belgium will change this so no age restriction. The 2002 law governing euthanasia allows adults to choose to end their lives, if they’re competent and conscious, repeatedly make the request and are suffering unbearably - physically or mentally - as a result of a serious and incurable disorder.

There are many people both for and against euthanasia; I believe that everyone has a right to die in dignity and in pain and its immoral to make people continue living and suffering pain. Furthermore many countries have a Suicide Act, in which it is legal to take your own life. Therefore, why is it illegal for someone to assist you in taking your own life if you’re unable? I think its very practical to implement, for example in similarity to the Abortion Act, consent could be given by two independent consultants. Furthermore living wills could be implemented, so patients declare what medical treatment they would want to receive if they were terminally ill. This could be categorised into vegetative state, brain damage, incurable terminal illness, and serious illness with treatment available. Another further advantage could be increase in scarce health resources and free hospital beds.

Although despite the fact that there are my arguments pro euthanasia, my overall view is against euthanasia because there are too many complications. It is a very ‘slippery slope’, it could result in pressurised euthanasia by families who see ill patients as a burden, or by doctors who want to free up medical resources. Legalised euthanasia undermines the commitment of doctors and nurses saving lives, also it could give doctors too much power .The currently implemented palliative care makes euthanasia unnecessary and may reduce the value of life or may accept that some life’s (those who are sick) worse than others.  A final major disadvantage is it would probably lead to reduced research and investment into terminal illnesses. 

References:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25651758 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/euthanasiaandassistedsuicide/Pages/Introduction.aspx