fornia law signed in 1968 increased the number of abortions in that state from 5,000 in 1968 to 116,000 in 1971.” (Robert Marquand 2)P.A.S. candidates are likely to be not clear-headed people, but rather persons suffering from depression. The overriding reason for pursuing P.A.S. seems to be the fear of being a burden to others. In the Washington survey, 75 percent of terminally ill patients cited concern about being a burden as grounds for P.A.S. Distress and dependency are the primary concerns of P.A.S. candidates. The more likely case is that of a woman who, if she fears pain, fears it because her health care system does not properly manage it; she opts for P.A.S. because she does not want to burden her family. An example, which is given by Dr. Michael Levy in his interview, is very representative of this attitude. One of his patients who asked his help in killing herself did so because she did not want her daughters to have to clean, feed, and diaper her as she had when they were young. After Dr. Michael arranged a family discussion, which allowed to her daughters to say, “Mom, we want to give that back to you”, the ill mother realized that she was not a burden, and she was able to go on. Another argument of the proponents of PAS is the painless end of life that a physician can provide to his terminated ill patient. But is this management of pain provided in reality? Time magazine noted, "Look behind today's headlines about physician-assisted suicide and the right to die, and you'll find that what people are really talking about is the management of pain. Or rather, the mismanagement of pain." Pain relief is available, but is it provided? A recent study of 4,000 patients who died after hospital interventions showed that 40 percent were in severe pain most of the time. Moreover, statistics from the Netherlands, where physician-assisted suicide is legal, indicate 25 percent of people who attempt to kill th...
