See also: quick facts | euthanasia methods | alternatives | pain management | living wills

Euthanasia is the purposeful killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his/her alleged benefit. Euthanasia has been advocated for certain classes of human beings, including the handicapped young, the mentally impaired, the terminally ill and the comatose. The inevitable result of this trend will be to escalate from killing for the alleged benefit of an individual to killing for the convenience of others.

Euthanasia violates the principle that each human being has intrinsic dignity and value, regardless of age, physical or mental condition, or state of dependency. Euthanasia seeks to improve the quality of life, not by mutually ennobling acts of care and assistance, but by exterminating those who fall below some arbitrary standard. Killing is never a proper expression of compassion.

We approve of the accepted medical practice of administering pain-relieving drugs in whatever dosage necessary to alleviate the suffering of the terminally ill, as long as there is no intent to bring about or hasten the patient's death. We care about human life and about people and families facing difficult medical decisions. We promote positive steps of advocacy to protect all human life, no matter what its situation on the continuum of life.

Several national organizations are devoted to legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia throughout the United States. They include The Hemlock Society, Compassion in Dying, and The Right-To-Die Society.

• See the Legislation page for information regarding Ohio laws on euthanasia.
  
  
• Euthanasia questions and answers are available from the National Right to Life web site.

QUICK FACTS

• Oregon is currently the only place in the world where physician-assisted suicide is legal. The Dutch Parliament has approved a law making euthanasia legal in Holland. The Dutch Senate will be considering the matter at some point during 2001.
• Voters in Maine rejected the legalization of assisted suicide in their state during the November 2000 elections.
• In Holland, only 40% of all assisted suicides and euthanasia are reported. (Source: JAMA, 6/4/97)
• 80% of Dutch doctors have killed people deliberately through direct, active (not passive) euthanasia. (Source: American Journal of Medicine, January 1984)
• Studies examining the psychological background of individuals who kill themselves show that 95% have a diagnosable mental disorder at the time of death. (Source: New York State Task Force on Life and the Law)
• Since assisted suicide has been legalized in Oregon, 16 people died in 1998, 27 in both 1999 and 2000, 21 in 2001, and 38 in 2002
• In Holland, 9% of all deaths in 1990 were attributed to euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide.
• There were nearly 31,000 suicides in the United States last year. About 20,000 homicides were reported.
• According to reports by the Dutch Government in 1990 and 1995, 26% of euthansia cases occurred without the patient's consent. Of those cases, 21% involved patients that were deemed competent.
• 49% Americans find assisted suicide morally unacceptable. (Source: Gallup Poll, 2003)