Introdaction

 In this introduction I shall explain to you what is euthanasia, where  it comes from and where  it  is allowed or prohibited.

Euthanasia or assisted suicide (from the Greek means “good death”).  According to Med lexicon’s dictionary: Euthanasia is:
1. "A quiet, painless death." or 2. "The intentional putting to death of a person with an incurable or painful disease intended as an act of mercy."                                                                                                                   Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering.   In many cases, it is carried out at the person's request but there are times when they may be too ill and the decision is made by relatives, medics or, in some instances, the courts.

Where does euthanasia came from?

The first recorded use of the word euthanasia was by Suetonius, a Roman historian, in his De Vita Caesarum--Divus Augustus (The Lives of the Caesars--The Deified Augustus) to describe the death of Augustus Caesar. In ancient Greece, suicide of the patient who was suffering extreme pain and had an incurable terminal illness was made easy and for this reason, the physician gave medicine (a poisoned drink) to him. Plato wrote: "Mentally and physically ill persons should be left to death; they do not have the right to live."  Also, in Sparta, it was the common practice for each newborn male child to be examined for signs of disability or sickliness which, if found, led to his death. This practice was regarded as a way to protect the society from unnecessary burden, or as a way to 'save' the person from the burden of existence. 

 Where is it allowed or prohibited?

As of 2012, euthanasia was legal in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. In some other countries, such as Switzerland and Colombia, helping someone to die was legal under certain circumstances. In the United States, assisted suicide was legal only in the states of Washington, Oregon and Montana. Although euthanasia is illegal in many places, it often is legal for the treatment of a terminally ill patient to be stopped under the direction of the patient or, in some cases, his or her family.